More private security officers hit the streets of Chicago
Chicago IL June 23, 2022
Beginning this week, private security officers will patrol commercial strips throughout the 19th Ward in an attempt to aid the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and deter crime.
19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea announced the news in a mass email on June 16, saying the plan was developed in consultation with the CPD with a goal “to provide a visible security presence as well as additional eyes and ears in the community for the 22nd District.”
The program is being funded by a city micro-grant awarded to Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association (MPBHBA), 95th Street Business Association, and Mt. Greenwood Community and Business Association after a survey was conducted earlier this year seeking input on ways to help business corridors recover from the pandemic.
Private security, O’Shea said, was the top choice of local business owners.
“While I believe this program will make our neighborhoods safer, we must be clear that a private security guard is not a Chicago Police Officer,” O’Shea said. “The duty of private security officers will be to observe and report. When a private security officer encounters suspicious activity, he or she will immediately contact the Chicago Police Department and remain on scene until CPD responds.”
Caroline Connors, MPBHBA executive director, said the program has funding through the end of the year.
In Beverly/Morgan Park, private security will patrol Western Avenue, between 89th and 119th streets; 95th Street, from Western to Ashland avenues; the commercial districts along the Rock Island Metra rail line, at 99th, 103rd and 107th streets; and 111th Street, between Fairfield Avenue and the Rock Island Metra line, which is just east of Longwood Drive.
Connors said the program “is not intended to be a substitute” for the CPD. Instead, its intent is “to serve as extra eyes and ears and as a deterrent to stop crime before it happens.”
O’Shea noted that the program is part of the city’s public-safety strategy that includes “a significant investment in our camera network.”
Connors wants small-business owners to feel safe and be able to focus on their job.
“The private security program is another way that the MPBHBA, 95th Street Business Association and the Mt. Greenwood Community and Business Association are supporting the businesses in our commercial districts,” she said. “We hope that, combined with the city’s security camera program, the security initiative will deter the crimes to businesses, mostly vandalism and break-ins or burglaries, that have increased over the past year. Small businesses have taken a hit over the past couple of years with COVID, and they do not need the aggravation and expense from broken windows and other damage to their businesses.”
O’Shea noted that the city offers a Homes and Business Protection Program that reimburses business owners and vehicle owners for outdoor security cameras, outdoor motion-sensor lighting and vehicle GPS trackers.
People can receive up to $225 per camera for a maximum of two cameras; up to $150 per one year of subscription costs for video-storage systems; up to $100 per light for a maximum of two lights; up to $50 per vehicle GPS tracking device for a maximum of two devices; and up to $120 per one year of subscription costs for GPS tracking applications.
Only security devices purchased on June 6, 2022, or later are eligible.
Owners may register their devices with the CPD, but it is not required for reimbursement.
In selected communities, devices are being distributed at no cost.
O’Shea hopes both programs help the CPD, which has seen a drastic drop in the number of officers in recent years.
“In the face of troubling CPD staff shortages, we as a community must do all we can to support, appreciate and respect the profession if we expect people to seek the job,” O’Shea said. “In the meantime, we must also explore other opportunities to promote public safety in our community.”
For more information on the protection program, visit Chicago.gov/hbpp.
