Bike Path Beating Shows CPD Weakness: FOP

The head of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police said Wednesday night's attack on a near south side bike path exposes weakness on the force.

Visibility deters crime, Mike Shields maintained Thursday, hours after four young males were charged in the mugging.

"If we can't prevent a group of 5th graders from attacking one of our residents on the lakefront, how are we going to protect Englewood and the other neighborhoods in the city of Chicago," said Shields, who is now locked in a manpower battle with City Hall and Chicago Police Department heads.

"If there were more officers in that area, that would have prevented any crime," he said.

If there's anyone in Chicago with a vested interested in lakefront safety, it's Jason Erkes, President of Chicago Sport and Social Club, which boasts more than 70,000 annual participants in its events.

Erkes said the Chicago Police delivered following the rash of early summer mob attacks and said he doesn't know what more can be done to make people feel safe.

"Police have had a great presence down here throughout the summer and I feel very safe. They've had cops on bike, cops on foot, helicopters over the beach, added the blue light camera," said Erkes.

Still, he acknowledged that sometimes bad things happen.
 
"You can't let a few bad apples spoil the whole barrel. If people are going to do [bad] things, they're going to do them," he said.

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