Lakeview residents organize to combat rising crime

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Rising crime in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood took center stage Wednesday night during a community meeting at the Athenaeum Theatre.

So many people showed up for the meeting, they had to hold two sessions.

"For me I have a family, a small little girl at home and my wife. We pay a lot of money to live in the neighborhood we live in and I don't think crime should be as big of a concern as it is right now," said Chris Grozev.

Elaine Osgood, a concerned neighbor, organized this community call to action.

"Everybody seemed concerned, so I decided we need to talk about this as a community because it is clearly an issue nobody is talking about except on Facebook," Osgood said.

The community was stunned in March by surveillance video of a senior citizen mugged while getting off the elevator at her apartment building. The suspect pushed her to the ground and ran off with her purse. Police were able to track the robber down. And then earlier in April, a burglar used a 30 lb. stone to break the glass on the back door of a home.

Stories like this are too common for comfort in this neighborhood.

"They just come in. They don't care. They say have the cameras, have the lights, well now that doesn't matter. Now that's not enough," said Catherine Blaisdell.

Now the community wants to flip the script on the crooks.

"I am nervous in my neighborhood but I am also empowered now. I think we can really make a change," said Osgood.

One neighbor is looking into hiring private security for her block.