Citing “ongoing and escalating” violence at 31st Street Beach in recent weeks, 4th Ward Ald. Lamont Robinson has successfully lobbied for the early closure of the beach over the holiday weekend.
The beach will have a boosted police presence, new fencing and cameras. Bag checks and “heavily enforced” towing of illegally parked cars nearby has already been in place and will continue, Robinson said on social media this week.
In a statement, the Chicago Police Department confirmed it will “have additional resources in place” at beaches across the city, and said some “may be temporarily closed to maintain public safety and limit overcrowding. Our officers will remain present and visible so that all beachgoers can enjoy the lakefront safely.”
“The Chicago Park District security will continue to have a presence at 31st Street Beach during the 4th of July and throughout the weekend to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday and holiday weekend,” the district said in a statement.
No cars will be allowed to enter the beach’s west parking lot after 8 p.m. and cars must leave the lot by 11 p.m. Harbor security will be in place from 6 to 11 p.m. Cars parked after then will stay there until reopening the following morning.
After after a pair of fatal shootings late last month, Robinson first requested the Park District close the popular beach two hours earlier – at 9 p.m.
In the early morning of June 21st, police found a 23-year-old man and 22-year-old woman dead in the 3100 block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive near the beach from multiple gunshot wounds. Chicago police said several people were arrested after the exchange of gunfire.
Two days earlier, police found two women wounded in the 600 block of East 31st Street. One of those women, a 22-year-old, later died at Insight Hospital after sustaining three gunshot wounds. The other victim was wounded in the left thigh.
In all, Robinson said 8 young people were shot within two weeks. He pledged to work with the mayor’s office to deploy violence interrupters to help de-escalate potentially violent situations at night, describing the level of violence as “unacceptable.”
Over the June 21 weekend, a crackdown near the beach ended with 37 cars towed and an arrest after a bag check at the beach turned up a gun.
He re-upped his calls for enforcement of a 9 p.m. closure after a shooting in the beach’s parking lot on June 29. A 17-year-old girl stabbed a 26-year-old woman after an argument. The 26-year-old pulled out a gun and shot the girl in her left shoulder. Both were hospitalized and the teen was arrested.
