About 20 additional agents from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are headed to Chicago………David Coulson, a spokesman for the Chicago field office of the ATF, said “We are always seeking to enhance the enforcement efforts of ATF…..in conjunction with CPD.”

Couple this with the fact that the gang structure in Chicago is so fractured, no one know who runs one block to the next.    For example, the Autobarn, a luxury car dealership in Evanston was broken into in Evanston and they made off with 4 BMW’s and a rare Porsch 9-11 turbo, but the gang members converting these cars to cash these cars were used for joyriding and shootings.   One of the cars was used to “livestream” a rap video when police pursued it all over the west side.

Chicago, with some 100,000 documented gang members, has more gang members than any other city with the possible exception of LosAngeles (Researchers estimate that gangs account for at least half the homicides in those tow cities, a number so large that together they make up about 20 percent of all gang-related homicides nationwide.

Will this new effort of problem oriented policing by ATF simply relocate the crime to suburban areas already controlled by the gangs ?

What will be the repercussions on the suburban communities with the enforcement focus being seen in Chicago ?

Schiller Park has neighboring towns acknowledging for years the presence of gang members and territory control by these gangs.

Gangs identified in Elmwood Park include Milwaukee Kings, Maniac Latin Disciples, Four Corner Hustlers, Spanish Cobras, Gangster Disciples, Gaylords, Imperial Gangsters and the Latin Kings.

In Franklin Park, the gang, the Imperial Gangsters have been identified controlling the “The Jungle” an area bounded by Mannheim Road to Ruth and Crown to James Avenue.

Harwood Heights has been associated with the Latin Kings, Latin Pachucos, Insane Deuces,  and Satan Disciples.

Gangs identified in unincorporated Leyden Township include Imperial Gangsters, Gangster Disciples , the Latin Kings and LaRaza, with “Lil Darkside” having territories around Armitage and Ruby, Dickens and Ruby and Palmer and Ruby.

The City of Northlake has seen gang activity involving the Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, Two-Two Boys with the Imperial Gangsters controlling an area of condos and apartments known as King Arthurs Court and the Maniac Latin Disciples controlling the area around Fullerton and Wolf known as the “Lost City”.

The gang known as Almighty Simon City Royals has been identified as being associated with Norridge.

In Park Ridge, the Latin Kings and Surenos 13, have had a presence;  and River Grove    has seen activity from the gangs of Insane Dragons and M.O.B.

But Schiller Park has refused to acknowledge to residents that inquire whether there is gang activity in Schiller Park.   It creates an interesting question, “Is Schiller Park an island in a sea of gang activity or has a “blind eye” been turned to this activity ?

Some  have noted that the Simon City Royals, La Raza control the area around 25th and Ruby Street, residing in the apartments that border Ruby Street in Schiller Park.

Gangs have evolved over decades from social to corporate, so now with the aggressive stance of he Chicago PD, the gang leadership is constantly querying, “where can I go and get out of the spotlight ?”   This gang leadership is constantly looking for the “smaller town” with less resources to combat their activities.

The next year very likely will see an additional gang migration to the west Chicagoland suburbs and eastern DuPage County.    Recently a senior CPD officer said “We can see them going but they are not going away, like disappearing, just moving.”

Schiller Park has failed to create an ongoing community collaboration of major stakeholders (which should include the residents) to implement strong neighborhood policing.

Someone needs to take a leadership role to formulate a regional gang strategy.   This could become an epidemic in Schiller Park and the West Cook suburbs because their are no borders for gangs.    Mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying to reduce his crime in Chicago, but does care if he achieves this by the relocation of the criminals.   Big city police departments are experienced, the smaller ones aren’t.   Things will change in Chicago, and what happens there, in the city with the greatest gang violence problem in America, could have repercussions throughout the region.

The answer to deal with this problem is as complex as the problem itself.

But we all need to start as residents of each of our towns questioning the strategies and planning of our communities to deal with this pervasive gang violence problem for which we may see the repercussions of the enforcement in Chicago.