City Manager vacation

The President of our Neighborhood Association is doing a really good job keeping us informed. Lately she has been sending us a copy of the Issues Updates that the City Manager provides to the Mayor and other City leaders.

Today, I received the most recent Issues Update. As I skimmed through it, what jumped out at me was a paragraph entitled "City Manager Vacation..."

"Beginning next Friday, July 27, 2012, I will be... on vacation... In my absence, Chief Settingsgaard will be Acting City Manager."

Silly me, I thought Police Chief Settingsgaard was otherwise occupied.

Another child hit by gunfire, as shooting up the streets of Peoria regardless of innocent people being in the vicinity continues

Shooting up the streets of Peoria regardless of innocents being in the vicinity continues. For the second time in the last two months another child has been hit by gunfire. You will recall that on October 14, 2010, an early morning shooting resulted in the injury of a 4-year-old as someone fired shots into a home on West Proctor Street around 4:30 in the morning.

I find it amazing how babies are the victims of shootings in Peoria and there is no sense of outrage from the community.

Another child hit by gunfire
Sat, Dec 11
A 3-year-old child was shot in the head Friday night on North North Street.

In what Peoria police Chief Steve Settingsgaard said “was probably a drive-by,” a child at 1311 N. North St. suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

The house was fired upon numerous times and a car parked on the street outside of it also was hit. A neighbor who would not give his name said it sounded like a machine gun was going off because of the number of shots fired. Source

Peoria man will face charges in shooting
Sat, Dec 11
PEORIA - A Central Peoria man was ordered held on $200,000 bond for allegedly shooting someone in the buttocks early Friday. Source

Man shot in the buttocks during robbery attempt
Sat, Dec 11
A man was shot in the buttocks after a gunman attempted to rob him Thursday night.
Source

Two survive separate, unrelated shootings
Mon, Dec 06, 2010
Two men survived being shot during separate and apparently unrelated incidents Sunday night. Source

Shots fired during South Peoria liquor store robbery
Tues, Nov 30, 2010
Three men robbed a South Peoria liquor store after firing shots into rows of bottles behind the cash register Monday evening. Source

Citizens won't be charged for running through the streets firing a weapon
Fri, Nov 26, 2010
Lyons sees both sides. "I won't be seeking criminal consequences for defensive gunfire erupting from this event." Source

Peoria's Stop-and-Frisk Neighborhoods

I am not sure what to think.

I know I want the shooting and killing to stop. But if I truly want them to stop, do I still have the right to speculate that the new crime initiative put forth by local law enforcement may violate the rights of a certain segment of our community - my community?

Is this really the only way...

I sit here not knowing, but hopeful, that somebody is making sure that the rights of black folks in this City will not be violated. But by the same token, I realize that our rights are already being violated by gangs. I am conflicted.

Are we going to give the PPD slack? Perhaps a comment from the local NAACP, or the African American Leadership Alliance as to what they think about the new initiative could put my mind to rest. Do they support it; are they concerned about the abuse of it; do they have any advice that they will offer publicly so that we have an idea how to deal with the issues surrounding random stops; or are we to just stay off the street, in an effort to avoid them?

In the current climate of black-on-black crime, do I dare ask for clarity on exactly why the police now have the power to randomly stop me, my husband, brothers, nephews and cousins? Many of us live in the impacted areas of crime. AND aren't black folks in this city already being stopped at disproportantely high rates?

First District Councilman Gulley is now calling for a full curfew after 10:00 p.m. Again, I am looking for clarity, will this just be for black folks and the neighborhoods that majority black folks live in, or will this be for all of Peoria?

Is it really fair that because I am black and there is a problem with black-on-black crime, that I am expected to go happily, without question and forfeit my rights to move about this community - my community freely?

Police Brutality Press Conference

Hat tip to Stella for the photos:

Today’s press conference held by Pastor Harvey Burnett on the steps of City Hall was in full attendance by local television and radio stations. There were also several individuals who appeared along side Pastor Burnett who spoke specifically to the police brutality they each allegedly faced at the hands of Peoria Police.

Pastor Burnett:

"… The Chief [Settingsgaard] took that information and never corresponded back with us at all. We checked with some of the individuals in the street who knew these Officers and they said that one of these Officers had been moved but the other Officer was continuing to do what they did but he was doing it on a little different scale. I would suspect that the Chief did talk to them, but I can’t prove anything. All I know is that the information that we receive seems like it evaporates and people are yet over the same period of time continue to experience problems at the hands of the Police.”

Go to EmergingPeoria to read Pastor Burnett's speech in entirety.