Two months after West Garfield Park neighbors vented frustrations drugs, prostitution, and other crime problems on their streets, despite help from local leaders, they said it's still going on, and they're demanding solutions.
From illegal dumping to drugs and homeless encampments, West Side residents are fed up.
A stretch of 5th Avenue near the Eisenhower Expressway has its fair share of problems. Prostitution and drug sales leading the pack.
"Day and night, all times, and on the weekends; it's like Grand Central Station. They're in and out all night," one woman named Sharon said at a community meeting on Thursday. "In addition to that, they have cars that come up. I guess I'm assuming these are their pimps, and they come out and solicit the women."
This woman is sandwiched between the issues.
"I have my young niece and nephew who I have to try to shelter from seeing this," she said.
She and other community members gathered in a West Side church on Thursday to address what's happening steps from their doors, but it's deeper than 5th Avenue and pimps.
The Westside Block Club Association said kids can't go to their neighborhood library without seeing drug use.
"Parents trying to walk their children into the library and have to pass this stuff," one man said at Thursday night's community meeting.
Whether it's the ongoing prostitution on 5th Avenue or the ongoing homeless encampments and fly dumping, West Siders said when the city comes out, the issue just returns.
"They came right back on a second vacant lot," Talei Thompson said.
Thompson has recorded countless videos, most recently of illegal dumping.
"Who has the audacity to put these tires on their truck and to bring into another neighborhood and dump them?" Thompson said.
He questioned why cameras aren't getting installed to catch the people or businesses illegally dumping in his community. He said West Siders are determined to get the problems resolved for good.
"We just want to work with our elected officials, community organizations to make sure that people are not coming into our community and dumping things they're not supposed to be dumping," he said.
