When I was first elected, I noticed the duplication of services that was doing more harm than good. We would have instances of the street being torn up twice because different departments were not on the same page. One of these issues continued to be the lack of coordination to help people who have had multiple arrests. Starting this month that will change.

For the first time ever in the City of Chicago, addiction specialists and police officers will work together to assist people who have had multiple arrests due to their alcohol addiction. This program was created from me bringing together Supt. Garry McCarthy and Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner Evelyn Diaz to work together on a solution. Crisis Intervention Trained (CIT) police officers will be monitoring identified areas known to have high arrests for public drinking. The CIT police officers will enlist the help of two certified addiction specialists from Haymarket Center, an organization that specializes in addressing addiction. These specialists will work to motivate the individuals to address their addiction and strengthen their connection to other social services. We are not doing any service to these individuals by placing them in jail over and over again. This cycle is not only harmful to the individual, it is very costly as it results in higher rates of emergency room admissions, hospitalizations, and jail time.

Thanks to the help of the Chicago Police Department and the Department of Family and Support Services, we will save lives. We can do better and starting this month we will be.

Best,

Update on Wed evening (April 30) Shooting

Last Wednesday evening, a group of individuals were arguing with one another, and one person pulled out a gun and shot 2 people. Both had minor wounds. Five people were later taken into custody for this shooting and the gun was recovered. Investigation is ongoing.

Residents are strongly encouraged to attend their local CAPS meeting to work with others to reduce crime. For more information, call the CAPS office at 312-744-0064.

Available Parking for Residents affected by Water Main Repair
Thanks to the generosity of the Parks Department and Thorek Hospital, Ald. Cappleman was able to secure parking for households on N. Sheridan, Cuyler, and Gordon Terrace that have been affected by the inconvenience of moving their cars during this construction. Final guidelines for using Park District property will be completed by today.

Residents who are effected should come to Ald. Cappleman's office to pick up a parking pass that will be good until July 1st. You should bring in proof of address (Photo ID and mail) and City Sticker number. The passes are available on a first come, first serve basis (2 cars/person maximum). Parking instructions will be provided when the passes are given out.

Daily Parking Permits Not Available: May 8 - 11

The City Clerk's Office is switching over to a new type of software from May 8 - 11, which means ward offices around the City will not be able to issue parking permits during those times. To learn about other options for getting parking permits, click here.

Public Meeting Regarding Stewart School & CTA Property

When: May 8, 12, and 29 starting at 6pm

Where: Clarendon Park Community Center; 4501 N. Clarendon

The Metropolitan Planning Council and Ald. Cappleman will be hosting 3 public meetings to discuss the reuse of Stewart School and the CTA lot on the 1100 block of W. Wilson. Each meeting builds on the one before, so residents are encouraged to attend all three community meetings. For more information, click here.

911 & CAPS
911 is used to address an emergency when police are needed quickly to the scene. CAPS is used to address a chronic issue. For more information about CAPS and their meeting schedules, click here.

Northside Holistic Center (4737 N. Clark)

This is a great business that provides massage therapy, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and psychotherapy. Yelp gives them rave reviews. Click here for more information or call 773-506-8971 to schedule an appointment.