Apr 23, 2008 10:03 pm US/Central
Deadly Violence Could Dash City's Olympic Dreams
South Side Residents Gather To Discuss Crime Spiraling Out Of Control
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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South Side residents concerned violence in their neighborhoods is spiraling out of control met for a town hall-type meeting April 23, 2008.
CBS
Supporters of Chicago's Olympic bid are concerned that the city's recent rash of deadly violence could end their dream of seeing the games here in 2016.
And as CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports, there's also concern among many South Side residents that the violence may be spiraling out of control.
"With all the violence going on, who's gonna want to come here when people are getting shot left and right?" said South Side resident Erica Williams.
"It's humiliating," said Chicagoan Donnie Massey. "It's embarrassing for our city."
About 400 residents and activists gathered Wednesday night for a town hall meeting at Kennedy King College. Part of their message was aimed at city officials who plan to transform Washington Park into an Olympic village.
"There's more than just Washington Park to be cleaned up, there's the 15th Ward, 16th, 17th that have to be cleaned up," said Denise Dixon, executive director of Action Now.
Fifteenth ward Ald. Toni Foulkes disputes concerns city leaders are more focused on winning the Olympics than on winning the war on gang violence.
"How can you not care when 30 people get killed in one weekend? That's not true... We all care about what's going on," Foulkes said.
And police are promising a beefed-up presence in South Side neighborhoods this weekend.
"We're concerned about children getting killed and we're doing everything we can to make sure it doesn't occur again," said 7th District acting Cmdr. Edward Kulbida.
Police will not give specifics about their plans for this weekend, except to say there will be an extremely heavy police presence.
Also, on Friday afternoon, South Side residents who are fed up with the shootings are planning an anti-violence rally at 59th Street and Paulina.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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