Drug trafficking problem for South Loop seniors

Story by Dara Belic

South Loop residents learned of a high number of arrests and unchecked drug activity at a senior citizen apartment building in the 2^nd Ward at a recent CAPS meeting. Chicago police officers made 70 arrests in September said Beat 1213 Officer Alex Errum.

“Seventy is a high number for this beat,” said Errum at the Oct. 16 meeting. The number of calls for service has been as low as 30 in previous months, the officer said.

The top three crimes that lead to the most arrests in the area were theft, narcotics and criminal damage. Twenty-five individuals were arrested for theft, 17 for narcotics possession or sale and 12 for criminal damage. Typical theft crimes included car break-ins and theft of property from construction sites, Errum said.

Other recent arrests included 11 for battery, nine for motor vehicle assault, four for deceptive practice, three for burglary, two for robbery and two for criminal trespass.

Several arrests made for narcotics occurred at 318 S. Throop St., a senior citizens apartment building called Academy Square .

Some Academy Square residents at the meeting voiced concerns about the growing “traffic” in and out of their building, which is near W. Monroe St. and S. Racine Ave.

This “traffic” is caused by drug users coming into the building to purchase narcotics and then leaving, which occurs throughout the day and night, said resident Irene Page.

“The drug sales aren’t going to stop until the source is stopped,” said Page, who said she has been woken up on numerous occasions by people yelling and screaming in the hallways late at night.

Another resident, Dianne Kennedy, said drug users are buzzed into the seven-story building by seniors who live there, which is the only way to enter the building.

“You can’t get in unless you’re buzzed in, which makes the people who live in our building equally if not most responsible for this problem,” said Kennedy.

It’s unclear who’s buzzing the drug users in, and whether or not residents allowing them into the building are aware of the drug problem, said Officer Henry Perez, senior citizen liaison for beat 1213.

Because residents are permitting outsiders to enter the building by granting them access, said Officer Paris Edwards, the issue must be taken to the building’s management entity.

“Building management is going to have to deal with this,” said Edwards, who suggested the residents request management hire better security.

Officer Perez had another idea.

“Off-duty police officers should do the security; that way they can investigate at the same time and find out which residents are selling the narcotics,” said Perez, who said he’d contact building management right away if residents agreed with his approach.

They did.

A building supervisor said police will take care of the issue, but she declined to give her name or answer any further questions.

“These people scare me,” said resident Eva Brown, who lives on the second floor. Brown said the drunken arguments she hears some nights prevent her from sleeping.

“It’s a horrible feeling, knowing the building you live in is out of control,” Brown said. “If there were off duty officers working security at night, I’d feel safe enough to sleep.”