Neighbors say they feel unsafe with loitering, harassment in Chicago's South Loop

The fear and aggressive begging in the area of Wabash Avenue and Roosevelt Road has reached the point where some people are even moving out of the area. Jermont Terry reports.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CBS 2 News Chicago brings you breaking news, weather, compelling exclusive content and award-winning investigative reports from the CBS 2 Investigators.

[bjxjs]

Strangely, before this area was rebranded as the South Loop, it was part of Skid Row. Do y'all remember the SRO that used to be on State and Roosevelt? The underlying conditions that made it that way 40 plus years ago haven't been addressed simply because of real estate development that doesn't benefit poor people in any way. Also, Roosevelt is a transit hub, and many people live on the trains. Panhandlers are going to go where there are people with money. And people with money hover near downtown, whether Gold Coast, South Loop, River West, River North, West Loop, etc.

[JohnMoog-ugbk]

It’s called being enriched by diversity

[money]

Now it’s hitting the rich white people areas 😂 been happening for years every where else

[Onehitwonder]

Obviously they don't feel so unsafe that they will stop voting for it.

[AllJC]

Those blk communities been crying for years about this issue but they were judged and ignored. Now its spread look who's crying now. We better learn to all work together or lose it all together.

[dlight]

You voted for 'soft on crime' and you got 'soft on crime.'

[willyjoerockhead]

True story ...i was walking on Western ave and a guy asks "Do you have a dollar?" I said "No...sorry." steps later another guy asks do you have a dollar?" I said "No...sorry." Steps later this old guy walks up and says "Do you have a dollar?" I said "Look! i just walked a block and you're the 3rd person to ask me for a dollar!" He said "I'm sorry, I would have been first but i'm old!"

[ChristineKiral]

Let me put it in better perspective for you
The mayor
The prosecutor
The chief of police
That's who's supposed to be on top of things
Because if you don't stay on top
It's what they do it's in dey culture💯

[JogBird]

we cant even say what the issue is out loud

[dan-scfm]

She's been there for about a decade. Yeah, the south loop got gentrified for the last 15 or so years. You should have seen it before then ( from the 60s through the 90s). So the undesirables weren't pushed out far enough south and west. But the reality is they were always there. Welcome to the neighborhood, your kind of town.

[johnleeson]

So show videos of the panhandlers. Oh, won’t fit the narrative…

[halstonmann]

You residents VOTED for this!!!! Enjoy.

[potato]

Don't feel bad, they voted for this.

[gman]

So what is Mayor Brandon Johnson doing about this? Where are you mayor? Weak! Hiding under his bed.... when are you Chicagoans going to wake up and vote somebody different!!!!

[ivanvanogre-ndsw]

"It has gotten PROGRESSIVELY worse..." Wow, is THAT the truth!

[liberalismisaids]

Taxes go up and quality of life has been on the decline all over the city

[ksmooth]

We told y’all to vote for Paul Vallas for mayor, but instead all of you voted just by looking at skin color.

[LarryCairo]

At this point why does anyone want to live in the South Loop?

[corywalker]

South loop has always had homeless and beggers, now we call it aggressive begging 😅smh some of these ppl need to move

[arthurd]

These law students and doctors are out of control