YES!!!!

What Skokie parks are "troubled"?

Where are these "hot spots" ? It seems the Causus candidates don't want to reveal too much about crime. Oh, I forgot, crime is DOWN in Skokie! If there is a "hot spot", assuming this is a high crime area, the residents should know about it. How about the Police change hot spots to family friendly spots then we won't need cameras! I'm not impressed with this candidate. I'm voting for the independent candidates to bring a fresh vision to Skokie.

There are cameras everywhere these days. I remember sitting at a bus stop in downtown Tampa about 10 years ago and seeing a security camera above. Curious, I looked around above and discovered no less than 10 cameras trained on various areas within a 2 block area. Later I found out the federal building was a block away. But, can't you see where this is heading? Very sad, won't get my vote. Freedom, at what cost?

What would a camera do except clarify what happened AFTER an incident. We need real law enforcement and oversight of our children's parks. Enough is enough.

I'm cutting and pasting my response to "Adam T" since it was not posted here. He did not yet respond as far as I know:
Adam, I don't understand what you mean by "laws are not written to be automatically enforced 24 hours a day." Are you saying there are some times during the 24 hour day when it would be ok for a teenager to deal drugs and have sex in a public park? Are you saying there are some times during the 24 hour day when it would be ok for a teenager to deface, vandalize, or destroy one of our swing sets or play slides? I'm thinking that just having the obvious and proper public notice at the park that it is under surveillance will be a deterrent and that the parks will become safer for those who are using them for their intended purpose and enjoyment. I'm not in favor of a "Big Brother" society but in the public domain at a public park there should be no reasonable expectation of privacy.

What the village parks need are more picnics!

I can see it now -- the ladies in their finery, the men in their straw hats, the boys in their sailor suits, the girls in their bows and ribbons. Red gingham table-clothes spread across the freshly cut lawn. Sack races and egg tosses. Barber-shop quartets and big brass bands. Orators and cantatrices. Sandwiches, water-melon, lemon-ade, and even that latest treat -- iced cream!

If the village decides that a camera is needed to capture this gaiety, then who am I to object?

I am obviously naive, because I am not aware that any of Skokie's parks are bad enough to warrant this type of surveillance, and it concerns me. I do not favor putting my head in the sand and ignoring it until the problem escalates more, however I would look at cameras in the park as a last resort, after all other reasonable measures have been tried. With all likelihood, placing cameras in one park will just shift the hot spots to other unmonitored parks.

Growing up here myself in the 70's we as kids were up to no good hanging out at the local parks though nothing comparis by what goes on today, I'm sure. We would just loiter, smoke cigarrettes, play loud music from our cars and just be a disturbance to the residents. I remember the Skokie PD constantly pulling up and chasing us out till we no longer hung out in the parks. Maybe just have regular police patrol around these hot spots. A good and constant police presence is a good deterrent of criminal activity. We must however all be vigilant in keeping our commuity safe. I am always keeping one eye open around here and I do call PD's non emergency when I see ANYTHING suspicious. We ALL need to do that!

For some reason, our elected officials (and many of the people who elect them) are satisfied with skating around problems. We lower speed limits and install a $300,000+ traffic light in response to a drug and alcohol related motor vehicle fatality. If we can save just one life... We punish EVERYONE in response to one criminal's actions.

Now, some new do-gooders want to parrot big cities by installing cameras in parks. We already have a traffic light camera at Dempster & McCormick and we have a camera at the library's holocaust memorial. Why not cameras at parks? So, we install cameras at the troubled parks at taxpayer expense and the criminals move to another park. We install more cameras and more cameras. If we can save just one life... We give up our freedoms, so willingly because we have to do something--even if it's wrong—it makes us feel good.

It wasn't so long ago when you drove through Skokie, you would see police cars. Not so much anymore. Officers don't have time to patrol--provide a visual deterrent, because they're taking MANY calls, writing MANY reports, going to court, assisting a neighboring agency, training, parades, picking up mail, etc. Get to know a patrol officer and ask them how to make things better—not a social worker. Ask a patrol officer about cameras, traffic lights and reduced speed limits.

Having a presence. Making contacts with citizens. Being highly visible. Don't skate around the issues.

Here's why you don't want this.

You live near the park. The Village installs cameras in the park to keep the people that you don't like from using the park.

7 minutes after the cameras are installed those people move or leave.

You can't move or leave and now have cameras watching YOU for the rest of the time you live there.

Enjoy your surveillance.

Yes, and get rid of that Park Monitor and establish a Park Police Officer that has sauthority to arrest the squandrals in the park. Morton Grove has one, and they have less parks.

This open dialogue is an example of getting the community involved in working towards a resolution. I am happy to see so many responses whether positive or negative. We are after all a village and the voices of our citizens must be considered when important issues that affect us are discussed. It would be a benefit to all of us to encourage others who may not have access to these comments to make their voices heard.

YES

An open dialogue is well-and-good, but what will we do about the prevalence of squandrals in the park?! I do hope that Officer Dogberry and Park Monitor Malaprop get to the bottom of it.

Dont think that cameras are the answer - sorry caucus party.
Voting out as many caucus party members as possible that have contirbuted to this situation is the answer.
Vote for independents in Skokie, vote early and let us start making changes.

This open discussion is very nice but if there are troubled parks in Skokie could you please identify them and explain what criteria is used to identify them as troubled?

Edie Sue Sutker's suggestion about installing surveillance cameras in certain troubled parks is a definite step in the right direction in combatting crime in Skokie. But it is not without some controversy and problems that need to be overcome and I think should be overcome. Let the community discussion begin.

First, putting surveillance cameras in parks is beyond the jurisdiction of Village Trustees. A separate government called The Skokie Park District has jurisdiction over all parks in Skokie. But The Skokie Park District is a very progressive and proactive governing entity, yet they still need to be onboard with this idea.

Second, there is always legitimate concern that America is marching toward a 1984 type society with 'Big Brother' surveilling one's every move. This is more so as a response to 9/11 where politicians have use the fear and sometimes the excuse of the need to fight terrorism to really help to fight domestic crime.

American's have yet to come to grips with the question of what kind of society it really wants.

I am of the opinion that limited surveillance with careful checks, if the community has its discussion on it, in crime troubled areas can be an effective tool.

I do not have the time to read all the preceding comments, but I perused a few which I will comment on one.

There are 3 parks where drug dealing and harassment of kids exist. Police have increased patrols, but cameras may be an added deterrent.

Yes, I think we should have cameras in troubled parks. I would also recommend having them at the Swift; there is just too much activity at the Dempster stop.

Yes Miri, you said it.

You are obviously naive. Is your car broad sided frequently in intersections? Do This. http://www.google.com/alerts

You and everyone else who wants to know what's going on anywhere in the village...or wants to follow anything in particular, should use that link.

And set up a few alerts. Perhaps, "Skokie Crime", "Skokie Police", "Mayor George Van Dusen". And get your head out of...well wherever it is. You will get daily emails once you set your alerts on anything you request. Even Hot air balloon ascensions. Use it for fun things too.

But for God's sakes, set it up. So you can wipe away your naivete, and vote for new trustees. Ask that our almost 30 years and running Village Manager Al Rigoni be replaced. Tell the police you are tired of the 'crime is down again this year' fairy tale.

And please, please, please...start watching the parks and the alleys and everywhere else. MOST OF ALL, WAKE UP !!!

Now you are empowered and can awaken from your slumber. Then start making a whole lotta noise because your Mayor is only going to "Do a Study"...and tell you 'your perception is mistake'.

News flash...he is the one with the mistaken perception. Better yet, send him an email or a letter and ask him to resign if he cares about this village. He is only in it for himself. He knows the people are rightly p ***ed as hell. Good luck

As a means to prevent and/or stop crimes, a camera is only as good as the person monitoring it. To cover most or all of a park, one or more cameras would be needed. Each camera would need to be capable of tilt/pan/zoom. A human would be needed to operate and monitor the cameras. This is the way store security operates, and this is the only way to make cameras worthwhile in the parks. Unmonitored static view cameras may be useful in solving a crime that occurred but will do little to nothing as far as preventing or stopping a crime is concerned.
This is a huge monetary commitment to start and to maintain such a system. How do those costs compare to assigning a cop or two to the parks?
I too grew up in the area. The late seventies and early eighties saw me late at night in Skokie's parks and businesses with my friends. We became acquainted with some of the cops back then. If I remember correctly, many of the cops were on a special detail, working overtime. This approach was effective then, so why isn't it utilized now? Could that approach really be more expensive than cameras? The cops convinced us at the time that Morton Grove would be more to our liking. We read between the lines and moved on. I don't think cameras would have been as persuasive as the face to face contact we had with Skokie's finest.

Thank you for your comments - Ilonka, Skokie Caucus Party trustee candidate. You are the only Causus candidate to date that has made a comment on Patch. Skokie residents are ignored by the current officials. Cameras in the parks is not a real solution. Residents who have been keeping up with reality know that Skokie needs an overhaul to make it a safer place. We keep reading that it is just a "perception" that there is more crime these days in Skokie. It's not a perception. Don't get me wrong - Skokie has its good points and that's why I moved here. But, its been an uphill battle for many involved residents inching our way to a safer and better Skokie than what it is currently. We all know that starting at the top with new leadership is when Skokie will see REAL change. It is time for a new Village manager! Isn't 30 years enough? I think so! I'm all for a petition to get the guy to resign, but that can get so ugly. You know, like the eminent domain embarassment. What we can do is vote for the independent candidates in the upcoming April election. Once Rigoni retires, and hopefully that is soon, at least we will have independent trustees in place who are not part of the current Skokie Caucus machine, to assist in selecting a better replacment. Please get out and vote to get the change started. THE NEW POLICE CHIEF HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN A GOOD WAY, which proves that changing leadership will make a change!

oy