Greater Auburn Gresham CDC Voices Opinion on Mayor's Top Cop, A Community Friendly Selection!
Published: March 28, 2016
The Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GADC) is no stranger when it comes to being a voice for the community and taking a strong stand for the safety of neighborhoods that makeup Chicago's police 006th district. It was good to open the doors to CBS Chicago's reporter Dorothy Tucker, and tell a heartfelt story of working closely with 006th district police, and it's good history under Commander Eddie Johnson.
Carlos Nelson and Commander Johnson, kicking off an early on historical 79th Street RenFest
Carlos A. Nelson, executive director of the GADC, was appointed co-chair of the 006th district business subcommittee, along with officer Derrick Jones. In addition to ensuring a team that works to keep the communities in the 006th district safe, 006th district police works in many ways to build stronger relationships with local organizations, businesses, faith based institutions, schools and residents. It's not hard to recall that many community police colloborations were instituted during Commander Eddie Johnson's reign as 006th district commander. Close to home he helped:
- The Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Coroporation and the community in not only hosting one of the largest one day street festivals, in Auburn Gresham, the 79th Street Renaissance Festival, he very instrumental in guiding and supporting us, in shutting down and securing one of the busiest bus routes in the city of Chicago. To date the street festival has closed 79th street between Racine and Loomis, for 10 straight years, incident free day!
- Participated on panel alongside the Chicago Fire Department and Department of Planning, at a packed house community "Fireside Chat, What the X?", to help the community understand the impact of the red "X" signs that began to popup, on buildings throughout Auburn Gresham.
- No stranger to promoting a clean and green neighborhood, opening the community room to local meetings was happening at many police headquarters. However, ensuring members of his staff could participate with the community at meetings and for a roll call during community events such as, annual earlth day events, peace league basketball games, and supporting summer workers, as they walked the neighbhorhoods canvassing businesses, was priceless.
- Chicago Police Department 006th District CAPS helped make block clubs stronger and participated in annual Block Club events as a resident and partner. The CAPS senior subcommittee is one of the largest in the City, we think!
- National Night Out celebrations throughout the 006t district, brought neighbors out of their homes and into parks and events, all in the name of peace in the hood.
- All this, while being tough on fighting crime and violence, in our neighborhoods.
We can't speak to the politics behind the decision, but we can concur that the 006th district, although plagued with recent spurts of crime, across Auburn Gresham, Englewood and West Englewood, are all communities where a huge majority of the residents are great people and the few percent that gives the communities a reputation it does not deserve.
Lastly, "we have have never heard and believe it will be hard to find any negative press on our new CPD interim superintendent." We are pleased with the selection and accept it respectfully. We are not naive. We'll be watching. We'll also be helping. It's a tough job, no matter who is is selected.
We wish commander Eddie Johnson much luck in his new role. Be safe out there!