A ward that spans parts of Chicago’s West and Northwest sides went five months without a single murder earlier this year, and some parts of the city may hope to copy that success story.
The 26th Ward includes most of the Humboldt Park neighborhood and parts of the West Town, Logan Square, Hermosa, and Belmont Cragin neighborhoods. What is different in the ward, said Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th), is the involvement some who might not otherwise be invited to the conversation about violence prevention — like members of gangs that would otherwise would not be collaboration with one another to keep the neighborhood safe.
Humboldt Park is Fuentes’ front yard, and she has quite literally spent her whole life in the neighborhood. She grew up in a graystone three-flat building right across the street from the park with four other siblings…