A clothing store on the South Side of Chicago (the baddest part of town) ran into some trouble recently. Thieves came along during the night, smashed out the store’s windows, and ran off with all of the merchandise they could haul out. Of course, this is such a common occurrence in the Windy City these days that it’s almost not worth mentioning. But in this case, something happened in response that could almost inspire a bit of hope in the city’s beleaguered citizens and business owners. The Resident Association of Greater Englewood started a drive to encourage shoppers to bring their money and go patronize the shop so that the owner can get back on his feet. They’re describing it as a “community cash mob.” How well that works out remains to be seen, but this charitable act raises another question that the neighborhood should address. Is this really the only way to keep businesses open in Chicago in the current environment? (CBS Chicago)

A South Side clothing shop is getting back to business after a break-in, and people in the Englewood community are coming to its aid.

Someone smashed the window at Englewood Branded, a retail store at 63rd and Ashland, and stole what they could grab, but the store owner isn’t letting that bring him down.

“I’m going to do the same thing I’ve been doing. I’m deeply rooted in the community,” owner Corie Luckett said. “Maybe the security measures will be a little different. For three years, I haven’t let my shutters down, because I wanted to show the community that I trust them.”

As I already said, it’s a nice gesture and perhaps it will help Corie Luckett remain in business. But it’s also worth taking a moment to look at the response from both the Resident Association and the owner and put this in context.

First, consider the quote from Luckett as reported by CBS. While he may now be considering some “different security measures,” he specifically says that he’s traditionally not lowered the security shutters over his windows because he wants to “show the community that I trust them.” While I’m sure he has plenty of honest neighbors and patrons, for far too many criminals in Chicago, the trust is clearly not warranted.

And then there’s the Resident Association of Greater Englewood. They wanted to reach out to help Mr. Luckett, which is very generous of them. But their only solution was to have the community show up and shop at his store so that he can afford to restock his shelves. And what happens after those shelves are restocked? The looters who robbed him before without facing any consequences (there was no suspect identified and no arrests made) will simply come back and do it again.

I suppose my question for both the owner and the Resident Association would be to ask why nobody is talking about the fact that he has been repeatedly robbed. What about the responsibilities of the criminals who are doing this all over the city? Perhaps instead of spending their time criticizing the police, the community should be working with them to identify the looters and bring them to justice.

This is alarmingly reminiscent of the story out of San Francisco I wrote about earlier today. That city has also been horribly plagued by property crimes under the tenure of their progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin. And the city’s largest newspaper recently published an article suggesting that perhaps it’s time for residents to simply learn to live with looting and robberies as part of the price they pay for living in an “enlightened, progressive society.” They suggest that residents and business owners deal with the problem by investing in more security systems.

Have these people collectively lost their minds? We’re talking about crime. It’s unacceptable and needs to be brought under control. And the citizens need to assist the police in making their communities safe and secure. If this is really the prevailing attitude of people living in these cities, then why should anyone express any sympathy for them or invest in rebuilding their neighborhoods? Just let the gangs take over entirely and see how much they enjoy living under their rule.

The people of San Francisco have started to stand up for themselves and are moving to attempt to recall their failed District Attorney. Perhaps the people of Chicago will reach the point where they’ve had enough and replace some of their own leaders. If not, the Windy City can just go blow away as far as I’m concerned.