Anti-Violence Group Says Police Deployment 'Isn't The Solution'

CHICAGO — The founder of an anti-violence group is speaking up after the Chicago Police Department deployed hundreds of new officers to the South and West Sides earlier this month. Tamar Manasseh, founder of Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings, said the new officer deployments have caused chaos in her neighborhood.

"I witnessed Chicago police officers, Illinois state police officers, as well as Cook County sheriff’s deputies, harassing people who are usually ignored by beat cops," She wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times.

She said the new officers aren't familiar with her neighborhood and there have been unnecessary clashes and traffic stops as a result. She also expressed concern over the CPD's crackdown on "unsanctioned" outdoor parties, as her anti-violence group hosts frequent outdoor gatherings.

On Sunday, the group hosted a block party on Stewart Avenue between 75th and 76th Streets in Englewood.

"The kids are playing. There's horses, a bouncy house, a DJ and a band. AND THE POLICE ARE COMING TO SHUT IT ALL DOWN," Manasseh posted on Facebook Sunday.

During her group's block party, she and other volunteers wore shirts that read "Unsanctioned Street Gatherer." In the Facebook post, Manasseh explained that police officers stopped by the party and asked her for a permit, and she told them she didn't have one. Officers then returned while she was running an errand for the party, and waited for her, she said. Fortunately, they didn't end up shutting the party down.

Earlier in August, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced that 430 more officers would be deployed to the city's most violent neighborhoods on weekdays. They said that number would increase to 600 officers on the weekends, most of whom would patrol the South and West Sides. The announcement was made after the city's most violent weekend of the year so far.

Manasseh's group, dubbed the "Army of Moms," is widely known for reducing violence in the area. The group continues to call for more comprehensive jobs programs, better school funding, more access to affordable housing and better food security.

Image by Amber Fisher/Patch