SOUTH SIDE ORGANIZATION HOSTS VILLAGE MEETING AND INVITES CITY OFFICIALS TO SPEAK

The Resident Association of Greater Englewood (RAGE) recently hosted a village meeting for residents at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy of Social Justice. Photo Credit: Resident Association of Greater Englewood (RAGE)
The Resident Association of Greater Englewood (RAGE) recently hosted a village meeting for residents at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy of Social Justice. Photo Credit: Resident Association of Greater Englewood (RAGE)

South Side Organization Hosts Village Meeting And Invites City Officials To Speak

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

The Resident Association of Greater Englewood (RAGE) recently hosted a village meeting at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy of Social Justice located on 644 W. 71st St. The purpose of the meeting was to share relevant and timely information with Englewood residents and allow them to ask questions and provide feedback.

Asiaha Butler, president and co-founder of RAGE, lead the event which included presentations from Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson and 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer.

“Everything we do from our village meetings to our So Fresh Saturdays to just being on the block is focused on helping our community and that’s really pretty much the baseline of our work,” said Butler.

Butler shared that RAGE has been collaborating with the Chicago Police Department’s 7th District to come up with creative ways to strengthen the relationship between the community and the police and to connect more residents with the resources they need to be successful.

After recently being reelected in the 6th Ward, Alderman Sawyer attended the village meeting to talk about upcoming events in his ward which covers part of Englewood. Sawyer urged residents to utilize the new Chi 311 mobile app to circumvent the traditional phone-in method of reporting a pothole, a tree that needs trimming, a burnt out street light, or any other neighborhood concerns that aren’t considered emergencies.

Sawyer also talked briefly about the need for residents to show initiative by investing in their neighborhoods.

“We have to control our own destiny and we have to start investing in buying these abandoned houses,” said Sawyer. “We need to find ways to invest because the city can’t help with this by itself. We can work with you and with others that are willing to invest and we can find programs to assist with cost but we don’t have the money to just go out and start renovating houses.”

Chicago’s Inspector General, Joseph Ferguson, attended the event to talk to residents about what his office is responsible for in Chicago.

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General is an independent office that works to identify corruption, waste, and mismanagement in city government. The Office of Inspector General is considered a watchdog for Chicago taxpayers and has the power to conduct investigations, audits, and reviews of most aspects of city government, according to information from Chicago Office of Inspector General.

During the village meeting, Ferguson shared the results of an investigation that his office conducted on the effectiveness of the Chicago Police Department’s gang database and also reminded attendees that his office is responsible for investigating police misconduct.

“You can report misconduct by the police directly to the Inspector General’s office and you can do it anonymously,” said Ferguson. We need to hear the individual stories because we have the ability to investigate.”

To learn more about upcoming events from RAGE, visit www.ragenglewood.org.

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