Responding to the gang-related slaying of a northwest suburban youth, a suburban mayor Thursday called for the reactivation of a disbanded local gang task force, while state lawmakers proposed a new package of anti-gang legislation.
Des Plaines Mayor Michael Albrecht proposed that several north and northwest suburbs reactivate a regional gang crimes task force that was disbanded a few months ago in favor of a similar operation by the Cook County Sheriff`s Department.
And in Springfield, House Republicans, saying that for years suburbs had denied the presence of gangs for fear it would damage property values, proposed legislation to create a statewide computer network to help police identify known gang members. They also proposed to make intimidation by gang members a felony, punishable by up to 3 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The legislation, billed as a GOP initiative, may face a fight from Democrats who control the House. And Albrecht`s suggestion received mixed reviews from village and county officials, some of whom supported the action conditionally, while others said it would not help Cook County`s current gang enforcement efforts.
But the effort is needed to combat the area`s growing gang problems, Albrecht said, pointing to a spate of shootings that include the recent killing of teenager John Anzelmo on a Maine Township street corner.
”I think this is something that we need to do,” Albrecht said. lobby for the reactivation of the task force, which was disbanded last September.
”The Anzelmo shooting could have very easily happened in Des Plaines,”
Albrecht said. ”These guys were driving around and could have met anywhere.” Anzelmo was shot and killed March 25, allegedly by four members of a rival gang. The four suspects are in Cook County Jail.
The gang task force, a consortium of police departments, was established in 1989 in response to public outcry over an alarming amount of gang activity across the northwest suburban area.
Communities that participated in the task force at one time or another were Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Glenview, Mt. Prospect, Niles, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling.
The group proved to be fairly successful. It made 90 felony arrests, handed out 140 misdemeanor charges and issued 61 ticket violations for gang-related incidents, while collecting information on the estimated 50 gangs and several hundred members that have sprouted across the region.
But it was dismantled because of manpower shortages and the establishment of the Cook County Sheriff`s Gang Crime Narcotics Unit, which many task force members felt was doing much the same job.
Capt. Allan Taylor, commander of the Cook County gang unit, said he would welcome the return of the task force, but only if it worked with or under his department and not independently.
”If they are a separate entity, we will be stepping all over each other,” Taylor said. ”If these people were assigned to work with us, then we would have something very viable that would work well.”
And while many parents and some officials liked the idea of getting more help on the gang front, not all backed the extra support proposed by Albrecht. Arlington Heights Mayor William Maki, for example, said he felt the reinstatement of a regional task force would be premature since the Cook County Gang Unit is only a year and a half old and its full potential may not be realized.
”I`m not sure the task force will help improve the proficiency of the law enforcement efforts in the area,” Maki said. ”I think some of the recent efforts made (by Cook County) are exceptional.”
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In introducing the anti-gang legislation in Springfield, the legislators said that gang activity in the suburbs is a longstanding problem that has only recently been acknowledged.
”It was denial,” said Rep. Robert Regan (R-Crete). ”The suburbs didn`t want to address the situation because of the real estate values. I think now that everybody realizes there is a problem, that has been overcome and we`re moving forward.”
”We can no longer ignore the gang problem in Illinois by pointing to the city of Chicago and saying it doesn`t affect us,” said Rep. Virginia Frederick (R-Lake Forest).
A GOP study based on the findings of the Illinois State Police found gang activity occurring in all but four primarily rural counties located north of Interstate 80, with significant problems in the nine northeastern counties of Cook, Du Page, Lake, Kane, Will, De Kalb, Grundy, Kankakee and LaSalle.
Though the anti-gang initiative was promoted as ”House GOP declares war on gangs” in a statehouse news conference, House Republican leader Lee Daniels of Elmhurst said he was confident that Democrats, who control the chamber, would support it.
But the GOP sponsors of the legislation all face serious Democratic opposition in November.
Frederick is in a re-election contest with veteran Democratic Rep. John Matijevich of North Chicago. Regan is in a rematch with Democrat John Ostenburg of Park Forest, whom he narrowly defeated two years ago. And Jane Barnes of Palos Park, another sponsor, faces Democratic Rep. Terry Steczo of Park Forest.
Besides creating a computer database and making gang intimidation a felony, the legislation would require the State Board of Education to conduct a study of gang involvement in schools.