One Chicago resident who is fed up with ever-growing crime has reached into his own pocketbook in an effort to help.
Since mid-August, De Mudd has dished out about $5,000 to pay private security to patrol his neighborhood six days a week, eight hours each day. Mudd said he’s saddened by seeing the deterioration of his neighborhood in recent years.
The private security comes out of a security firm and the security guards are moonlighting Chicago cops. But Mudd doesn’t blame the police department, he believes they are simply overwhelmed at the amount of crime they face each day.
“It’s like a supplement, supplement to crime fighting, supplement to police department,” said Howard Greer, owner of the firm, who also patrols the block. “I think it’s very effective.”
Effective at least for that one neighborhood.
“I have solved the problem for my neighborhood, but what I’ve done is I’ve just pushed the problem to another street corner in Chicago,” Mudd said. “That’s not the results that we, as citizens, should be looking for.”
Mudd hopes they can get to the root of the problem – not just ease the symptoms of it – and this may take the help of groups of citizens banning together across different blocks.
Meanwhile, Mudd said he has $50,000 budgeted to continue the security contracts and doesn’t regret spending the money at all.
“I have the means. I’ve been very fortunate,” he said.
[ CBS Chicago ]
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