Hoping a long line of officers and door-to-door dedication will stamp out some of Berwyn’s gang activity, police are taking a different approach to morning roll call.

On Aug. 1, Mayor Robert Lovero and the Berwyn Police Department instituted a comprehensive anti-gang and anti-drug initiative that more than tripled the tactical unit’s manpower — from four officers to 13. With the increase in officers, recent hot spots of gang trouble are being targeted. Officers also are assisting landlords in evicting problem tenants.

“We’re going to let them know that we’re not going to tolerate what’s been happening in this town, and we want to make sure that it spreads to other people that they don’t want to come to this town to conduct that type of business,” Lovero said. “This is a city of homes, it’s a community and we want to bring it back to the type of community that we all grew up in.”

Lovero said the new initiative does not include an increase in funding to the department, rather a transferring of already-available resources to priority areas.

As part of the initiative, the department has conducted two roll calls out in the community rather than within the station. Each shift of officers begins the day with a roll call where they are briefed, as a group, on recent calls, problem areas and suspects being sought.

To help increase awareness of police presence, the department targeted two blocks where officers have received complaints of gang activity. On Aug. 7, officers gathered on the 3600 block of Ridgeland Avenue to hear their briefing while a police representative went door-to-door handing out information on how residents could anonymously report gang and drug activity, according to Unit Commander James Sassetti. On Friday, Aug. 14, officers gathered on the 1900 block of Scoville Avenue.

“They’ve provided us with good information so it’s been effective,” Sassetti said.

In addition to the tips, the department contacted a landlord on the block, whose building was frequented by gang members. The landlord, who does not live in the area, told police he was unaware of the situation and received help from the city in evicting the tenants.

“We’re putting absentee landlords and all landlords on notice that if they allow these types of conditions in their home, we will come after them, too,” Lovero said. “We want to work with our homeowners, but we will not allow them to have this type of element ripping up our town.”

The department’s most recent target was the 1900 block of Scoville Avenue, where resident Bridget Dallmann, 35, said gang activity is becoming more of a concern.

“I’ve been here three years and each year it seems to keep getting worse,” Dallmann said.
Michael Franza, 34, echoed Dallmann’s sentiments.

“My cousin’s window just got shot out about a month ago,” Franza said. “It’s getting bad here. They’re always out here. I call the cops almost every day.”

Police Chief William Kushner said the outdoor roll calls have been used effectively in the past and will continue to be used as part of the new initiative. The department also will receive assistance from gang units within the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI’s Chicago branch, and Illinois State Police.

A new gang prevention and intervention program in Chicago, run by the county sheriff’s office, will also be extended to Berwyn.

“Part of it is that when a gang member is placed on probation, (the courts) ask for the intervention, and they put stipulations on their probation,” Kushner said. “They cannot associate with other gang members, they cannot wear gang colors, and if they do, it violates their parole.”

Kushner said gang and drug activity has not increased in recent years but police must constantly find new ways to combat the problems.

“The problem has remained fairly constant but you can’t stay with the same strategy for too long because the tactics become stagnant,” Kushner said. “If this works, great. If it doesn’t then we’ll try to sit down again and implement something else.”