Letter to the editor:
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I was also at the meeting and, judging from his remarks, Mr. Miglietta must have been experiencing auditory hallucinations that evening. During the meeting the only “kid” that was discussed was a 19-year-old gang member from Oak Park. The real truth is that children were not discussed at this meeting. This was merely fabricated by Mr. Miglietta so he could make his point. Additionally, Miglietta and Crockrom attended as individuals. They did not announce themselves as members of the Uptown Peace Patrol or any other organization. If Grant Pick had questioned other attendees or the meeting facilitator about it, he would have realized this.
And I am especially disturbed that adults who are the organizing force behind the Uptown Peace Patrol and Stop Criminalization (Anton Miglietta, board members Marc Kaplan, George Atkins, Stan McKinney, et al) are polluting young minds with the idea that home owners or anyone who participates in community meetings such as CAPS are merely out to get the young and the poor. Prince Crockrom claims he grew up as a member of the Uptown Peace Patrol and his statements show how this attitude has been passed on. He said, “Property owners who usually attend CAPS meetings, they don’t have kids….Their view of kids is to lock ’em up….They are stereotyping us out of fear.” Has Mr. Crockrom (or anyone within UPP/SC, for that matter) ever tried to talk to “one of us.” Mr. Crockrom “insists that the meetings will become productive only when the property owners change their way of thinking.” This is a strange conclusion to draw when, again, he has only been to one or two meetings and crime among young people was never even discussed. I say it is the Uptown Peace Patrol that needs to change its attitude!
Grant Pick replies:
