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Mt. Greenwood Teenagers
Submitted by southsidegirl37 on Sat, 10/17/2009 - 9:39pm.
My family and I live in the area of 108th and Sacramento, by Keller School and across the tracks from Mt. Greenwood Cemetary. This area seems to be a favorite hang out of local teenagers, because of the isolation the school provides and it's the proximity to the hole in the fence that the kids use to get into the cemetary after hours. Being a teenager once myself, I normally have the you don't bother us we won't bother you mentality. However, lately my tune has changed. There seems to be a lot of "partying" going on lately and it seems the kids are getting younger and younger with more and more alcohol being consumed. In the last couple of months I've seen that there have been several large groups of kids in the cemetary and the school area. The kids can be found being very loud, yelling obsenities, fighting and of course drinking and then throwing their beer cans on the ground and in peoples yards. I know my neighbors and myself have called the police on several occasions. Frankly, I'm getting quite sick of it and am concerned for these kids. Some of them are very young and do not know what they are doing in regards to the drinking and God knows what else and I'm afraid someone is going to get seriously hurt, raped or worse. Thanks for reading. Any opinions?
I so agree with Ann. I live in and have grown up in Mt.Greenwood and my kids have been told to stay out of there. I would just keep calling the cops and the cemetery. They are up to no good and some one is going to get hurt. It is just sad that the kids parent don't read this and watch there kids better. Unfortunately it is probably mostly cops kids that are doing it. It was like that when I was a teenager and my son says most of them are cops kids.
what an ignorant comment to make,"it's probably cops kids" How dare you
I am sorry I said that. It is NOT just cops kids it is all city works that live in Mt. Greenwood's kids that go in there!!! And I am sorry my bratty kids have gone in the cemetery, but they have come home and told me that they left because other MT. Greenwood kids where messing with stuff. And they where angry because they where doing that. It is called respect and some kids just don't have it! Have a nice day let all just get along and be good neighbors and realize we all have kids that will do stupid things. Just like we did as teenagers. ;)
What you people don't get is that we live in the most predominantly white neighborhood in Chicago. The Cops don't care enough to go in there, and the Cemetary guard doesn't care, they just continue to work on the leaf pile. And to think rape is going to happen? Are you kidding me? Bravo, you are now the biggest idiot in Mount Greenwood. They haven't fixed the fence in years and I doubt they care enough about what some middle-aged lady who has nothing else better to do with her time than to sit in her house peeking out of her window calling 9-1-1, has to say about it. They know what happens in their cemetary considering they own it. And as long as nobody does damage to the cemetary, they don't really care.
YES I AGREE WITH MR. AMBIGIOUS's COMMENT ABOVE ME
If the situation bothers you, then yes, you have a right to call 911. I doubt that there are enough officers on shift to respond to every call but it doesn't hurt to try. I was a kid hanging out at that same location in the '70's, yes it was a place where we felt we were not being observed and we could drink and party etc...I cannot imagine much has changed. The cemetary would fix the fence every now and again but there was always a kid with a tool of some sort for re-opening the path. Kids have to explore, they are at that age, they try to make a name for themselves. As adults, we realize that this behavior is not in their best interest, but as a teenager, they believe that this is the most important time of their life and everybody knows, teenagers know far more than their parents and some snoopy neighbor. Outside of identifying every one of these kids, calling all of the parents and starting some gov't funded program for underprivileged children, what are we to do? In the past, places like the Salvation Army and Park District have been the answer. Somewhere for kids to go and do kid things. But as teenagers, they want to be able to smoke and drink and it's hard to do that when an adult is around. Should we start AA for teens? It would be nice if someone had a suggestion or 2, without implying it's gotta be cops kids or any other negativity. Ya, there probably are a few cops kids in those groups as well as every other city workers kids and even more. Well we're heading into winter months and this activity usually goes away until spring so, you'll have a few months to think of a few possibilities for alternative solutions. Post em here, I'd like to read them.
You probably knew my sister and brothers they hung out in there in the 70 also. And I agree with what you are saying. Great idea!
I would love your real name...
"Quiet Enjoyment" Are you kidding me? Are you stating that these teens are paying rent to the cemetery? Get real, leave the big law terms in the dictionary. These types of situations have been happening for years and will continue to happen. Kids these days have little respect for adults and would laugh at the idea of having one security guard patrol the cemetery. In fact, it may bring more excitement to their Saturday night. The police would be a better scare, but we need them to continue to fight the real problems of society that separate us from the evils of our surrounding areas. It is unfortunate that these situations occur, but some kids will always find ways to create trouble and that's life.
I spent some time at Mount Greenwood Cemetery today getting video and talking to the president, Paula Everett. I'll post an update soon - maybe tonight but definitely by tomorrow.
Do you think Dan Slenk and his friends thought it was just a place to party without getting harassed? Probably, but their attitude changes after he was struck by a train and killed almost 20 years ago.
I know this because he was a classmate of mine at Brother Rice and a fellow hockey player.
For that group of friends, hanging out with a case or two of beer on a Friday night was nothing out of the ordinary in Mount Greenwood (and it's obvious by some of the above comments that it's been sort of a rite of passage for Mount Greenwood kids for generations).
The next thing we know, it's an ordinary old Monday morning at Brother Rice - but with one exception: We have one less buddy to hang out with.
A lot of people kept the drinking thing on the side, avoiding bringing it up in polite company. But I'm afraid that's exactly what has contributed to this. Nobody seems to think it's a problem until someone gets hurt - or killed. And even then it's not discussed head-on.
Anyway, I talked Friday to Paula Everett, president of Mt. Greenwood Cemetery. The 130-year-old cemetery has been in her family for generations, and she's spent the last 20 years at the helm.
But she told me that it's gotten too expensive to replace the fence - especially when there are several gaps (apparently there's another one near 107th and California). She also said that the fence has no barbed wire because it's a liability. I haven't spoken to an insurance company yet, but I'm not sure if that's the case.
Just two years ago teens broke in and caused $50,000 in damage. Everett said they were not convicted, and it was back to business as usual.
I asked her when she repaired the hole in the fence on Sacramento last, and she couldn't recall. But I noticed that it's rusted, so there hasn't been any recent repair.
"Most people aren't buying plots here any more. So I can't afford to keep making these repairs when they just cut them the next day," she told me.
"The neighbors are my eyes and ears. They need to call the police," she said. But I know two people who have been the victims of retaliation from teens who found out that they called the police.
Plus, since the cemetery technically is located in unincorporated Cook County, it's the responsibility of the Cook County Sheriff - not the Chicago Police Department ... until the teens leave the cemetery and set foot back in Chicago.
I've posted a video to illustrate the problem, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a resolution: The cemetery advises neighbors to call the police; the police tell neighbors to call 911; and no one wants to call 911 because a) it's usually not an emergency, and b) the teens likely will retaliate.
I hope this helps a little. I'll keep on it. Meanwhile, does anyone have any other ideas?
hey stupid this is his brother he got killed on the tracks not the cemetery - and I never heard your name before so shut your ******in mouth
"Uh, yes, hello 911... I'd like to report a disturbance.. Well, it's in the cemetery... I don't know who it is, but I think I saw one of them had something tucked into their waistband- I don't know if it was a cel phone or a gun, but I don't want to see anyone get hurt here... I'm just not sure. I really think you should send someone over..."
Calling the CPD for anything other than a Robbery In Progress is pointless, unless you self-prioritize your call. Sorry, I know the counter-argument is that it's 'wrong' and that you're taking cops away from the numerous ongoing rapes and running gun-battles that are occurring at all hours in Mount Greenwood, but really, it seems that there are a few places I can drive by at any time of the day and see cops sitting, yet when I call to report drug dealing, no one shows up?
Give me a ****ing break.
"Yeah, they had something on them kinda tucked into their waistband and he was walking real fast, like he was after someone..."
Id like to add , My siblings and I also used to hang out in the cemetary and also with some kids from the neighborhood and they were Cops kids. Not saying that they are the only ones hanging there but they are definiatly showing up and till this day I know of a big majority hanging in the cemetary that are cops kids. They should put guard dogs in the cemetary. Also there have been alot of fights lately in the Mt Greenwood area and it is getting ridiculous.
Helping one another is really effective. Having a good relation with the officers and us community will add safety to our areas.
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Everyone that commented on this is ******in stupid. You are thinking way to hard about this. Yes WE children go into the cemetery and more then half the other people who commented went in their as a child one time or another. But when you were sitting in their with your friends "back in the 70s" did you ever think one day you would be sitting there at your computer by yourself ******ing about kids doing the exact same things. Ya my dads a cop and so are many of my friends dads. But everyone being a city worker isn't a mount greenwood thing it's a Chicago thing. So don't single out mount greenwood from everywhere else. Most all of the parents that commented on this I can't even stand people like you anymore. You sit there and act perfect like your family's the best family in the world when your ego is to fat to see past the fact that your kids probably do it too and you did it when you were that age as well.
Just let the kids do what they want.
****** ****** balls
Hahaha that ****** thought kids would get raped what a paranoid ******
Comment: Every single time kids are
Submitted by Ann Anno Mouse (not verified) on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 12:11am.Every single time kids are on their grounds, call the cemetery 773-233-0136 and tell them the neighborhood is holding them responsible for not securing their property and allowing this disturbance to continue. If no improvement, put it in writing and use the words "quiet enjoyment". Any lawyer will recognize that standard legal axiom as suin' words. The cemetery hiring a security guard or fixing the fence is your goal. Cemeteries should be jumpy about bad p.r. after Burr Oak as well, and more likely to acquiesce.