An alderman from Chicago's South Side plans to sleep in a tent outside until the crime problem in his ward is solved.
On Friday, Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) began camping out in the area of 73rd Place and Racine in the city's Englewood neighborhood. He said crime has been a serious problem in his ward for the past five years, but the final straw was the shooting earlier this month that left 18-year-old Trinity Boswell dead.
“And that's what (prompted me) to the voices of residents who called me and said: 'Enough is enough.' And I ask anyone: Tell me what else I can do. “I don't want to be here sleeping,” Moore said in an interview with NBC in Chicago. “Give me another option.”
The local councilor said his goal is to shut down the open-air drug market that prevents community members from leaving their homes. He said the illegal activity led to the deaths of at least three people.
While camping in the neighborhood Saturday night, Moore himself was forced to duck and take cover when gunfire erupted less than a block away and one person was shot.
We have to take a stand and say: This is not true. “The residents who care about this building and want it cleaned: They have that right,” Moore said.
However, seven people were injured when two gunmen opened fire early Monday morning in the neighborhood, marking the city's second mass shooting in an hour.
Along with city crews, Moore also cleaned the area to disrupt drug dealers. Crews picked up trash in vacant lots and trimmed trees to bring more light to the neighborhood.
How long does Moore plan to camp?
“Until there is a clear strategy (to fix the problem), and we see some clear changes.”
