Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― The Taste of Chicago this year will have restricted access points and an increased police presence, after violence marred the annual festival last year.

Previously, visitors could walk up to the Taste of Chicago from any point along the periphery of Grant Park. But now, patrons must use one of four access points – Monroe and Columbus drives, Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue, Congress Parkway and Michigan Avenue, and Balbo and Columbus drives.

Each entrance point will be staffed by uniformed Chicago Police officers and private security personnel, who will be keeping an eye on those coming in. They will confiscate any illegal or prohibited items, such as outside alcohol, fireworks, illegal substances, tents or canopies, officials said at the news conference.

 Taste Of Chicago: Official Map

In addition, police will place special emphasis on CTA, Metra and Pace stations, and plainclothes officers will target pickpockets and monitor crowd activities, Weis said. Police will also watch over security cameras, and work with the Office of Emergency Management and Communications and the Chicago Transit Authority to watch over areas across the city.

"The Chicago Police Department is ready to devote the appropriate manpower and resources to ensure a successful and safe time for everyone," Weis said. "Our advice to anyone looking to cause trouble is simple – stay at home. We will not tolerate unruly behavior. If we see it, it will be addressed."

As the crowd flooded out of the July 3 fireworks at the Taste last year, four people were shot. One of them, a man identified as Courtney Thomas, 20, of the city's Near West Side, later died after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest.

One million people were trying to exit Grant Park at the time, and mass-chaos ensued when the shots rang out, with pedestrians running and trying to take cover between police squad cars.

Another shooting happened early July 5 last year on the Randolph/Wabash Loop 'L' platform.

Aldermen debated whether Weis could handle the crowds at the Taste after the shootings. But since then, Weis said Thursday, the Police Department has learned valuable lessons after handling crowd control on election night for President Barack Obama.

Weis and Mayor's Office of Special Events Director Megan McDonald both emphasized that security checks would not be set up to intimidate most of the festival attendees.

A mother who comes to the festival with her children with a cooler full of peanut butter sandwiches would be allowed to pass entry point without being stopped, but someone who tried to bring in a case of beer should expect to have it confiscated, McDonald said.

But McDonald said "90 percent" of those who attended wouldn't notice any difference in security from past years, and visitors would only be subjected to a "soft visual search." There will not be metal detectors, and police will not be searching every bag individually, she said.

"It's not going to be a police state," Weis said.

Asked to respond to how the violence near the Taste grounds last year will be prevented, Weis said, "Folks will feel very safe because they're going to see a police officer on almost every block, and sometimes every 20 feet."

Weis urged Taste visitors to call 911 if they see anything suspicious, or send an anonymous text message to C-R-I-M-E-S and put CPD in the subject line.

Those who attend the Taste are encouraged to use public transportation, CTA President Richard Rodriguez emphasized at the news conference. For those who do, all northbound buses will be staged on LaSalle Street, southbound buses on Clark Street, and westbound buses on Madison Street west of Clark, except the No. 126 Jackson, which will be staged at Adams and Clark streets, Rodriguez said.

The Taste begins Friday, and continues through July 5.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli and Adam Harrington contributed to this report.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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