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player ready...About 70 residents showed up Monday night in search of knowledge in an effort to take back their communities in the wake of recent gang violence in Aurora.
Monday’s forum, hosted by the Aurora Police Department at its community room, is one of three that will be held to explore the increase in shootings that have taken place this year in the city.
“The purpose of the forums is to give our residents a snapshot of crimes that are occurring both in their neighborhoods and in the city as a whole,” Aurora Police Patrol Cmdr. Kristen Ziman said. “We want to encourage an open dialogue between the police department and the citizens we serve because in the end, the community is our biggest ally in the fight against crime.”
Those living in the DuPage, Kendall, and Will County sections of Aurora were invited to attend Monday’s forum, while Near East Side residents are invited to attend on April 20. Residents living on the city’s West Side and downtown are invited to attend on April 27.
The main lesson for the evening from police was that citizens themselves are the best equipped to help police.
“A lot of the guns taken off the street and the crimes that are solved come from information provided by each of you,” said Sgt. Chris Whitfield, commander of Area 3, which is the far East Side.
Officer Mike Townsend called citizens “the eyes and ears on the ground.”
“Because you know what’s exactly suspicious and what is not,” he said.
Ziman called for the public’s help in combating street violence, and encouraged residents to show up at the forums and speak out.
“We want them to leave armed with information,” Ziman said. “We need to be gladiators together. We can’t do this independently. We desperately need community involvement.”