In July, 1998, the body of 11-year-old Ryan Harris was found in a vacant and overgrown lot in Chicago's crime-ridden Englewood community.How I found this article? Thru Everyblock in the ward's feed which has an address, 6636 S. Parnell, where Ryan Harris was found over 11 years ago. Just think she would have been at least 22 years of age had she lived today and perhaps even graduating from college.
Harris had a fractured skull. She was sexually molested, her underwear torn and shoved in her mouth. Weeds were stuffed in her nostrils. A bloody brick was found nearby.
Ald. Joann Thompson (16th) is determined never to re-live that nightmare.
On Monday, Thompson convinced the City Council's Buildings Committee to crack down on the negligent owners of unkempt and debris-filled vacant lots who, she complained, use the city as their "private lawn care service."
Vacant lot owners are already required to remove trash and debris, put up fences, keep grass and weeds below ten inches high and post ownership signs. Thompson's ordinance would more than double the fine for violating those conditions -- from $100 a day currently to $250.
...
"It's a breeding ground for crime. They hide drugs in the weeds. [Eleven] years ago, a child was found in a weeded area," Thompson said, referring to Ryan Harris.
Thompson accused vacant lot owners of thumbing their noses at the $100 fine and City Hall of failing to enforce the maintenance conditions.
"I don't know if the city is working with us or against us," she said. "We have to take pictures of the lots, write tickets, then send it in and they have to send back the [ownership identification] numbers. Meanwhile the grass is still growing tall. It has become a huge problem. At what point can we take back our land?"
Questions: Obviously vacant lots are eyesore and in depressed neighborhoods they are more than eyesores especially if there are blocks upon blocks upon blocks of vacant lots. However, do you think that Ald. Thompson's proposal in an appropriate measure to govern these vacant lots in our city? Do you believe that vacant lots attract crime?
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