|
Dear Neighbors,
I first want to take a moment to acknowledge the tragic events at Swedish Hospital on Saturday that resulted in one Chicago Police Officer shot and killed and one still fighting for his life. Officer John Bartholomew lost his life in the line of duty, and my thoughts are with his loved ones and the entire Chicago Police Department during this unspeakably difficult time. As we mourn this loss and hope for the recovery of the other officer, I'm thinking of all of our first responders who put their lives at risk to protect our city every day.
Here in the 44th Ward, Wrigley Field will make history this weekend by hosting the first Chicago HBCU Baseball Classic on Saturday, May 2nd at 7pm between Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M. I joined Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cubs CEO Tom Ricketts, Alderman Hall and other community leaders at City Hall this week to mark the occasion. Northwestern baseball will also be playing at the Friendly Confines for a game against Indiana at 7pm. Both of these special Wrigley Field events will come following 1:20pm Cubs games, creating two double headers this weekend. You can find additional information about Wrigley Field parking, traffic, and safety measures on our website here.
As a reminder, the 44th Ward Shredding and Recycling event will be taking place on Saturday, May 9th from 9am-12pm at our Ward office (3223 N Sheffield). I'm excited to announce that we will also be accepting old electronics! Please remember to remove any metal or plastic materials from your papers.
 
April street cleaning has officially come to an end, and my team and I have been on every street in the ward this month! I have now personally cleaned every residential street in the ward since taking office, and I'm so grateful to all of those who have come out to join us in keeping our community clean. A special thank you to Shelby and the Lakeview chapter of the nonprofit organization Trash People for organizing 13 volunteers this past weekend!
In preparation for the upcoming demolition of the property located at 2800 N. Sheridan, the southbound Sheridan bus shelter and the westbound Diversey bus shelter were temporarily removed. Please note, the stops will not be relocated. Demolition completion is anticipated by the end of July (weather permitting), at which time the shelters will then be reinstalled. Our office understands the temporary inconvenience to riders, but the temporary removals are necessary for both accessibility and public safety. Please feel free to reach out to the ward office, [email protected], should you have any questions and you can find additional information about the development plans on my website here.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our instrument drive in partnership with the nonprofit Spirit of Harmony. The instruments collected were given to Intonation Music, a nonprofit in Bronzeville that provides youth with small-group music instruction and mentorship, and Hungry for Music. Above is a picture we received from Intonation Music along with a thank you from their Executive Director, Tonya Howell, "Intonation is super grateful for the generosity of the Spirit of Harmony Foundation and the 44th Ward Alderman's office - helping us bring more music to more young people on the South Side of Chicago!".
|
|
Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
|
|
LAKEVIEW DOG PARK - DONATION PAGE
|
|
CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL - DONATION PAGE
|
|
CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE CONTROL - MAY 1ST THRU 17TH
|
|
DISTRICT 4A TOWN HALL - MAY 5TH
|
|
AIRPORT SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT & JOB FAIR - MAY 12TH
|
|
2026 GREEN MIXER - MAY 14TH
|
|
HAWTHORNE SCHOOL MOVIE NIGHT - MAY 15TH
|
|
SAINT ANDREW PARISH CHILDREN'S GARAGE SALE - MAY 16TH
|
|
WOOGMS MEMORIAL DAY PARADE - MAY 25th
|
|
MERLO LIBRARY - APRIL PROGRAMS
|
|
- Sunday Crafternoon - 5/3, 1:30pm-2:30pm (7 years and up)
- Film Screening: The Philadelphia Story - 5/4, 5:00pm-7:30pm (13 years and up)
- LEGO Club - 5/5, 3:30pm-4:30pm (4-13 years)
- Open Art Studio - 5/5, 3:30pm-5:30pm (grades 7-12)
- Play Time - 5/7, 11:00am-11:45am (0-5 years)
- Power Up Thursdays - 5/7, 3:30pm-5:30pm (grades 7-12)
- Click for all program details
|
|
NETTELHORST FARMERS MARKET - NOW THRU OCT 31
|
|
UPTOWN FARMERS MARKET - MAY 6
|
|
FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS (NEXT ON MAY 20th)
|
|
ST ANDREW'S SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION
|
|
|
To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
|
|
PUBLIC SAFETY & 19th DISTRICT WEEKLY REPORT:
April 20th - April 26th
Secretary of State Scam Texts Alert:
Fraudulent texts claiming to be from the DMV or the Illinois Secretary of State are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. If you get a message like this, it’s a scam. Follow the steps here.
Vehicle Theft Tactic Alert:
We want to make neighbors aware of a vehicle theft tactic that has been seen in other cities and may become more common here. Thieves are targeting newer “push-to-start” vehicles by using technology to capture and amplify the signal from a key fob—sometimes from outside a home—to unlock and start the car in seconds. From other cities' observations, this is more likely to occur when vehicles are parked close to a residence and when key fobs are stored near doors or windows facing the street. To help protect your vehicle, consider keeping your key fob farther inside your home, using a signal-blocking pouch, or parking further away.
Local Public Safety Statistics:
My office is in regular contact with the 19th Police District about crimes that have occurred recently in our area and that are reflected in the statistics below. The majority of 19th District crimes have occurred outside of our ward. The 19th District also includes the surrounding neighborhoods of Uptown, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Bricktown, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square.
Please view our website's public safety page here for both proactive measures to stay safe before crimes occur, and also how to respond in the event of a crime.
In order to stay safe, please find the most relevant key safety tips below, and the full list of CPD's safety tips here:
-General
-Personal
-Robbery-specific
-Vehicle-specific
Below you'll find Week 17's CompStat breakdown of crime in the 19th District.
Please note, these statistics are a reflection of the entire 19th District. The boundaries are from Lawrence Ave to Fullerton Ave, from the Chicago River to the Lake.
Here are the key points:
- Year to Date, Robberies are down 33%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 39%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 15%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is up 8%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 37%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 28%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 15%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 36%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 10%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 24%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
|
|
MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE RESOURCES
|
|
SCOOTER REPORTING
Please click here to submit a scooter removal request and here for Divvy bike removal. We appreciate your assistance in helping keep our neighborhood clean. By contract, shared bike and scooter companies must remove their property within two hours of a 311 removal request.
Please contact our office directly if you see illegal/dangerous activities on green Lime scooters (riding on the sidewalk, two people sharing one scooter, etc). We are able to work with Lime to potentially administer fines, suspensions, or bans if you can include a photo/video of the behavior, and a time and location.
|
|
|
See below for ongoing construction and infrastructure projects in our neighborhood and on our website here!
|
|
DEPT OF WATER MANAGEMENT WORK
The Department of Water Management (DWM) has completed conducting work on pipes and drains on Greenview, Lakewood, and Southport!
|
|
UPCOMING ALLEY RESURFACINGS
NS alley between Lakewood, Henderson, Racine, School: Grind date week of May 4th
NS alley between Lakewood, Melrose, Racine, School: Grind date week of May 4th
Resurfacing should take place with asphalt sometime in mid-May, weather permitting. We will send updates once we receive them.
|
|
REPORTING POTHOLES
Please report any potholes you see by entering in all requests through the 311.Chicago.Gov website for those in the street or alley. If possible, be sure to upload images as well so crews are able to identify the exact location.
For more severe potholes that may need immediate attention, please reach out to my ward office either by email ([email protected]) and include the location and images of the pothole or by calling the office at (773-525-6034).
If your vehicle was damaged due to a pothole, you may be entitled to a financial claim here.
|
|
WHAT DO YOU KNOW, JOE? - MAY
|
|
GARBAGE & RECYCLING
You can find your full garbage and recycling pick up schedule here.
|
|
|
See below for a list of job fairs, networking events, and more!
|
|
THE CITY IS HIRING
Looking for a job? Try working for the City! Click here to see the full list of job openings currently seeking applicants.
Local government employment opportunities:
- City
- City of Chicago
- Chicago Public Schools
- Chicago Transit Authority
- Park District
- County
- All - Cook County
- Cook County State's Attorney
- Cook County Sheriff's Office
- State/Other
- State of Illinois
- Secretary of State of Illinois
- PACE bus system
|
|
44th WARD 2026 COMMUNITY MEETINGS
|
|
|
|
|
