Yesterday my family had to purchase four (4) new tires: two (2) for a 4-wheel drive truck; one (1) for a minivan; and one (1) for a vehicle with special rims.
Overnight on Friday, about 37 vehicle owners (at least that is the number the newspaper gives) woke up to find that the tires on their vehicles had been slashed.
The crime scene spans from the Peoria Heights to the mid-East Bluff (about 14 City blocks). This blog covered the story first. There was no report on any of the local news stations and there was only a blurb about it in the local news paper.
If you drive the area shown in the photo above (click the image to enlarge), you will see vehicles still sitting on flats; some are sitting on jacks; others are on donut wheels.
Unfortunately, the timing of the vandalism occurred the day after most people have probably begun Christmas shopping. As a result, many will not be able to run out and purchase tires for a vehicle; a vehicle that they may need to get back and forth to work and/or school in.
The vandalism clearly wasn't about money - nothing of value was taken from any of the vehicles. If a group of young thugs were out on the coldest night of the year and thought it would be fun to slash tires - why not go to a dealership and have at it (there are two dealerships in the area)? Why take the chance of going up and down the street in a densely populated, residential neighborhood? The slashing of the tires was clearly an organized activity and yes, it was more than likely done by a gang - but this is not your standard inner city, youth, gang crime. So, who would commit such a crime and why?
The sad thing is, we don't expect to get any answers about what, why or how this happened. Heck, if I hadn't witnessed it, I couldn't conceive the magnitude of the crime, considering it got so little exposure with the local news agencies.
Just one more strike against living in Peoria and the East Bluff (as if a person needed one).
Just one more strike against living in Peoria and the East Bluff (as if a person needed one).
16 comments:
This isn't the first time this has happened. There were two arrests a couple of months ago do either they were released or someone else has taken up the cause. Is this an initiation or just bored teens with no parental support?
I understand how you feel. At least the rest of the cars or trucks were sparred additional damage. My SUV was damaged to the extent of $7000 damage and it was a new one. My portion was only $500 but that is still money that I could have put to other use. Nothing ever ca of it except my premiums raised slightly. I feel for ya, why would they do it, thugs.
I am sorry this has happened to you. My car was keyed in my own driveway, about about 70 feet in from the street. Crime in the community is getting more and more intense. I call it, "how to build a perfect sociopath". Uncaring, uninvolved parents, failing schools, excuses made for youth who start commiting crimes early, no curfew enforcement (by parents or police), lack of law enforcement, degraded heroes (look at who kids look up too, violent rappers, violent sports players, easy access to illegal weapons, corrupt politicians and community leaders), early sexualization and so on..add to that any types of abuse and/or neglect. City council focuses on "don't shoot"--well at least before the election, now...not so much--so a few slashed tires will be only be important if a gang member shot them out 3 days before voting.
Peoria leaders have wrong priorities and little interest outside of tax funded pet projects.
we are building the perfect sociopath each and every day in this town.
And in every school, when students get away with hitting other students, teachers, administrators. Virtually no consequences. They come back into class and start all over on other students.
Oh, and that referral you sent down with the student, that is gone. It is not entered in Skyward, so tracking data does absolutely no good in this district. Data-keeping is a joke.
Unfortunately, the East Bluff is quickly deteriorating into a mirror image of the South End.
We are working with the East Bluff Neighborhood Association to try and begin to turn that back around by buying up the foreclosures that literally litter the community and restoring them into homes that residents can take pride in, with the help of the newly arrived LISC, but it's a slow process and people don't want to hear about a 5 year plan, while crime rages around them.
This one in particular is befuddling, seeing the on the map just how many blocks were covered, the time, the temperature outside and the fact that there was nothing to gain from it. No money, nothing.
People that live in the area need to step up with a network of neighborhood watches that actually function, take back their neighborhoods and parent their children. I promise you, this wasn't a gang of 35 year olds.
It's difficult to hold my tongue, as a Christian, but there is a mass of irresponsible people in that once beautiful neighborhood that I want to personally chase out of their, and when the East Bluff is stable, I want to personally chase them all out of the South End, out of Peoria, out of Central Illinois and see area that turn around.
Residents have become complacent in these lower income areas and the people who strive to "hang in their" and have pride in their homes and communities are paying a hard price for it.
What's a "special rim"?
I'm wondering if any of the victims have security cameras pointed at their driveway. You never know what you can catch on video.
Vonster -- I'm guessing by "special rim" the writer meant one that used some sort of sport/low profile tire that one can't get at your average discount tire store and must be special ordered.
HipKat -- I love what you're saying. I wish it were that easy. If it were, I'd be right there with you. I'd love nothing more than to reclaim the quiet friendly neighborhood I moved into about 15 years ago. Sadly though what isn't creeping up from the south is taking place on both sides of my place as the neighbors seem to be making it their personal goal to turn my block into a white trash hillbilly festival -- yelling across the street at each other at all hours, burnout contests, front lawns filled with trash...
CAMERAS are great deterrent. They won't stop STUPID. I'm betting it was one of the groups I've been seeing riding around on bikes. They seem to be 14-17 years old. They go past my cameras several times a day in packs of around 5 bikers. some how PPD has NOT figured this out.
Eye in the Sky
There were two cameras purchased by the city of Peoria. One on the east bluff at Fry and wisconsin and one at McClure and Sheridan. No one watches them thus a complete waste of money. with personal cameras, we have them on the house. have caught people doing things they shouldn't. Police response is to look at the video and do nothing. Not enough officers on the streets and there is no intention of putting more on. Note in the latest budget, none of the cops hired were for patrol. They were for administration, attempting to move 3 into neighborhoods with no defined responsibilities, and stats people for Don't shoot. What a waste of taxpayer money again, but city officials will tout this for their upcoming elections.
Please, I remember when the ciy installed those crime cameras. The Mayor said they would be a deterrent against crime and many more cameras would be installed. Yep, just another program that was dropped and now we are on program 12, "Don't Shoot"
PJS at 9:46 am posted article: a suspect has been arrested for the tire slashings. 1 person did it all, it appears.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x2105841648/Suspected-vandal-arrested-in-rash-of-Peoria-tire-slashings
obviously one person was caught. If you pull up the arrest, he is charged with the all the counts. He also is 21, white, with a goatee. I would have guessed that it was multiple persons that were involved and potentially some substance (alcohol, etc.)
Take a look at his Facebook page, he appears to have worked for the City of Peoria Fire Department at some point.
I agree, it's more than one person. Look at his Facebook page and take your pick of who could have been with him.
EBC: I was thinking those cartoon wheels you see on all too many cars.
Yes Vonster, you are correct, because my family would OF COURSE be driving a car with cartoon wheels, since we's black and all...
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