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8/28/2008
Hello, everyone!
I have a new e-mail address. If anyone needs to contact me or would
like to join the neighborhood watch e-mail list, please send me an e-mail at:
eva-laroche@att.net
Be safe, be well!
Eva LaRoche
3rd Ward Coordinator
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8/27/2008
Hello, everyone!
Please follow the below link to an article in the news you may have missed:
Reward
increased to $40K for serial bank robber
http://www.southtownstar.com/neighborhoodstar/oakforest/1125321,0825timebandit.article
It is important that we not only be watchful around our own homes and neighborhoods, but while we are out in public
as well, whether it be a bank, the grocery store, a department store, a post office, etc.
This bank robber has targeted
several banks in nearby communities, so we should be more careful and watchful when we visit our local banks. As he has not
been apprehended yet, we must take the extra precautions to keep ourselves out of harm's way.
Hopefully, none of
us will ever have to experience this type of incident; but if we do come face to face with something this drastic, then please
follow the below link to an article that has some excellent advice as to what to do and what not to do during a bank robbery.
What to do in a Bank Robbery
http://banking.about.com/od/securityandsafety/a/bankrobbery.htm
Stay safe, stay well and arm yourself with knowledge!
Eva LaRoche
3rd Ward Coordinator
KNOWLEDGE
IS OUR WEAPON AGAINST CRIME!!!
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8/27/2008
To the person who posted:
"The previous breeds I mentioned..."
You have made some excellent
points.
Also, thank you for your sympathy.
Eva
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8/26/2008
Here is an update to the incident with Elly.
I reported to Lynn, our animal control officer, that I
had no choice but to have Elly euthanized. It is now on the attacking dog's record. As a result, there is an investigation
in progress and the owner, Julie, is being completely cooperative with the OFPD.
I am confident that throughout the investigation
it will be determined what Julie will need to do to rectify the situation according to the law. As I have stated before, she
has been from the beginning doing her part by being responsible and now cooperating fully with the police department.
I
am aware of people who wouldn't even come close to thinking that their dog even did anything wrong in a situation such
as this. That is UNACCEPTABLE.
I'll keep you posted.
Eva LaRoche
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8/26/2008
"Any animal may be considered dangerous. The breeds you mention may have gotten a bad rap because of
the people that were supposed to train and care for them"
---
The previous breeds I mentioned are listed
as "dangerous" or "uninsurable" by almost every major insurance company around. Call any company and ask
if they'll cover your house of you have any of the mentioned breeds and you'll get a near unanimous "NO".
Some simply will not cover claims related to dog bites.
When you go to the average "puppy-mill" store
(Petco, Petsmart) or rescue shelter, you have NO idea about the parents of that animal, or it's history. Only a certified
breeder can tell you the family history of the animal they sell. A rott (or other dog) that is only two or three generations
removed from vicious parents still does not have that bad streak out of it. Training your pit bull to be a nice dog around
your kids has absolutely no bearing on whether or not a child running down the sidewalk will result in them being attacked.
You cannot get in the head of that dog to find out what it's thinking no matter how well you've trained them.
When you see that over 80% of dog bite claims nationwide are the result of the breeds we listed, then you may begin
to get the picture. When we were younger, you were taught to be wary of german shephards and dobermans....now those animals
are replaced by pitts, rotts, and others. If you do some research on the subject you'll see I'm not making it up.
EVA, I am very sorry for the loss of your dog. Good to hear that the owner of the animal has taken responsibility.
However, it's something that she should have considered before the incident and tragic loss of your pet. By not being
proactive in training her animal she only delayed the inevitable, and that's just not acting responsibly in my book. "Locking
the gate" is a long way from obedience classes and spaying her dog. It does not bring back Elly.
I said earlier,
and I mean it--this dog WILL do something like this again. It's far too late to discipline it for an incident that happened
days ago.
Thank you for listening, and God Bless.
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6/26/2008
With everything that has happened to Elly, I have gotten to know the owner, Julie, of Emma, the german shepherd,
well. We have been in constant communication and speaking at length about what had happened. Julie is taking extra measures
to make sure this will not happen again in the future. She is having her dog spayed and has been looking for a reputable canine
obedience school that specializes in training german shepherds. She has found two that look promising. This is more than most
people would do after their dog had attacked a person or another pet. A lot of people wouldn't step up and take responsibility
for their dog's actions let alone go even further to correct their dog's behavior. I see this as a commendable act
on her part. She has never given me any reason to be angry with her through this whole ordeal. Yes. I am deeply saddened that
this happened and we lost our dear, sweet Elly, but I believe some good will come out of it. Many people have stated to me,
"It could have been a child." Maybe Elly's life was sacrificed to save a child's. If we can walk away knowing
a lesson was learned from this tragedy, then I would have to say that was its purpose. Julie has learned something she did
not know about her pet the hard way and now knows to double check that the gate is secured when letting Emma out in the yard.
For the person who wrote, "One reason they were so nice to you is likely so that they can avoid a costly lawsuit."
After getting to know Julie, I would have to say you couldn't be more wrong. If anything, Julie's actions prevented
ME from having to file a costly lawsuit, and for that I am thankful. That would have just caused more stress and anguish.
I, in no way, had felt any ill will toward her or Emma after the incident happened. This was an unexpected and unfortunate
event, which was an accident. I believe it was Julie's actions and behavior that set the tone for how this whole event
developed. Julie feels horrible about what happened and even more so now that Elly is gone.
The attack was reported to
the animal control officer and the dog was registered and current with its rabies vaccine. I don't have Julie's exact
address, but it happened in the 15500 block of Leclaire Avenue.
I would like to ask that anyone following this incident
to please go to the following URL (http://tinyurl.com/6g62wg) and read the #24 post by Julie and then my response (#25) immediately following hers. This is at the www.topix.com website under the Oak Forest forum.
I thank anyone and everyone who showed their concern not just for me and Elly, but
for our whole community. It is important that we take the proper course to rectify what wrong has happened. This assures us
of safer neighborhoods.
Stay safe, stay well!
Eva LaRoche
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6/26/2008
Here's a perfectly good reason for the CC to review the codes to make sure dangerous breeds of animals
(pit bulls, akitas, chows, rottweillers, etc) be registered with the city and the owners show proof of liability coverage
so that if the animal bites/maims another person/pet, there is coverage in place to pay resulting claims. Many villages already
have such ordinances on the books and they have consistently proved worthwhile.
Any animal may be considered
dangerous. The breeds you mention may have gotten a bad rap because of the people that were supposed to train and care for
them.
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8/25/2008
EVA:
I'm very sorry to hear about your dog being attacked and I hope a complete and
speedy recovery is in store for your beloved family friend.
The dog that attacked yours need to be registered
as a dangerous animal with the City of Oak Forest, and the owners should be cited and fined for not properly securing their
dog. Wait....you say there are no such laws on the books to protect our pets or children from dangerous animal attacks? Go
figure.....
Here's a perfectly good reason for the CC to review the codes to make sure dangerous breeds of
animals (pit bulls, akitas, chows, rottweillers, etc) be registered with the city and the owners show proof of liability coverage
so that if the animal bites/maims another person/pet, there is coverage in place to pay resulting claims. Many villages already
have such ordinances on the books and they have consistently proved worthwhile.
I'm not saying anything bad
about anyone's specific dog, only that the previouls list are all listed as dangerous breeds of dogs.
Also,
the dog that attacked yours WILL attack again--statistically, it's only a matter of time. Will it be your dog, a member
of the owners family, or a child walking down the sidewalk? As a public service warning, please post the address of the animal's
owner so that we can all proceed with caution when approaching the house. You could prevent the serious injury to another
animal or child (god forbid) by letting residents know of the location. One reason they were so nice to you is likely so that
they can avoid a costly lawsuit.
Good luck to you and your 4 legged friend.
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8/25/2008
I want to share with you our horrific experience. This past Monday evening while walking my dog, Elly, in
the neighborhood a German shepherd dog (approx. 65 lbs.) got out of the unsecured gate of its yard and mauled Elly (23 lbs.).
I had never felt as helpless in my life as I did then. There was nothing I could do but scream at the top of my lungs for
someone to come and stop what was happening to her. I had her on a retractable leash, so I could put enough distance between
us.
All kinds of things were going through my mind as to what to do. Should I pick her up? No, there was a chance I would
be bitten. Should I drop Elly's leash and run across the street to the owner's house to get them as they weren't
responding to my screams? No, there was a chance I would be bitten; plus I didn't want to abandon Elly. My husband said
I should have kicked the dog, but there was a chance I would have been bitten. I have always heard that you do not want to
get in the middle of a dog fight. I fully believe this is excellent advice.
All I could do was stand there and scream
as loud and long as it took for someone to respond. It seemed like forever before someone finally came from the attacking
dog's home and called her off. It was a horrible two to three minutes before they did; enough time to cause her extensive
damage requiring surgery at the emergency vet clinic. At this time, she is at home with us and in good condition. There may
possibly be some irreparable damage, but time will tell as she heals. She was lucky the attacking dog went after her hind
quarters and not her neck. If it was her neck, it surely would have been snapped ending Elly's life.
I am extremely
upset that this has happened to our family pet; it could have been prevented if someone double checked that the gate was securely
locked. I am asking all dog owners to PLEASE always double check that your pet is secured in your yard or home as to prevent
an incident like this from happening. If you hear your dog barking, don't ignore him/her; check to see why they are barking
and make sure they are where they should be-properly secured in their yard or house.
I am thankful I was unharmed physically,
but I can't say that my emotional pain will subside anytime soon. In the future, I will be sure to carry pepper spray
or a stick with me when I walk Elly to defend ourselves against an attacking animal as some have suggested. It is good advice
for all dog owners that enjoy taking their family pet for walks.
Dog owners, as well as all residents, please listen
and investigate without hesitation when you hear screams in your neighborhood. I'm not sure exactly why it took so long
for the owner to respond to my screams; I was in a state of shock when she did mention something to the effect of hearing
her dog barking but didn't think anything of it and wasn't sure what she was hearing while I was screaming. A neighbor
who heard me, at first, thought it was kids goofing around screaming and didn't look out of his window until he realized
my screams weren't stopping. He told me he was about to get a baseball bat and come out when he had seen the owner finally
come out and call off her dog. Lesson here would be to never ignore someone's screams and assume it's nothing. Even
if you think that it's kids goofing around, it always warrants a look as it may turn out to be something serious. The
gentleman that did come out to investigate was the neighborhood watch block captain, and he was extremely helpful. He brought
out a towel to wrap Elly in and drove us to the emergency vet clinic. I will never forget his kindness.
There is a good
side to this incident; the owner stepped up immediately and took full responsibility for Elly's care. She came to the
vet clinic and paid the bill and has promised to cover all follow up visits to our family vet.
I know that many people
have had a similar experience with dog attacks. That's why I am asking everyone who reads this to please share this story
with family, friends, acquaintances and anyone who will listen, so this can be prevented as much as possible from happening
to others in the future. A lot of people have told me, it was a good thing it wasn't a child that was attacked. If this
does happen to you or someone you know, be sure to report it to the animal control officer. It must be documented, so the
animal's history can be tracked in case there are more incidents in the future, or may show the dog already has a pattern
of this behavior. The officer will also verify that both dogs involved in the attack are registered with the city and current
with their rabies vaccine.
Thank you for taking the time to read mine and Elly's experience and please go the extra
mile to keep our neighborhoods safe not only from criminals but dog attacks as well.
Stay safe, stay well!
Eva LaRoche
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8/17/2008
I just want to forewarn everyone that this is a lengthy post as you can clearly see. If you
find the information merits your attention, then please continue reading it through fully or even partially if you sense boredom,
displeasure, or any negative emotion creeping up on you partway through and just can't bring yourself to continue. Oherwise,
your final choice is to skip over it completely. Some may find it to be informative, opinionated, preachy, all of the above,
or something altogether different; that's what these blogs are all about. You may label it whatever you desire. Now, on
to the task at hand...
For the person who was asking if the criminal activity reports can be posted at this website:
I sat down with Sgt. Beatty on Thursday morning for about three hours and learned what it all entails to create these reports
for each ward except the 1st ward. It is not going to be as quick and easy as I thought. Therefore, it will take a little
bit longer than anticipated to produce them. When I finally do have them ready, I will post what I have. It was suggested
that I may want to produce them every other week due to the volume of calls received on a daily basis. They add up very quickly.
This may be what I will end up doing.
Please be patient as I am also trying to produce reports with the information coming
from the investigation end where there tends to be more paperwork to sift through than the original call reports. There is
a process where the original call information (aka raw data) comes in and then the officer further investigates the incident.
Upon investigation, there may be a change in the type of incident and a more specific version of events, which may be similar
or different than what was originally called in. This is what the investigative part of the process determines. They find
out what happened exactly according to the victim(s), witness(es), suspect(s), etc. There will be very little or no information
given to me if there is an ongoing investigation that does not allow specific information or none at all to be released at
the time of the preparation of my reports. This is completely understood as it may interfere with the investigation. I will
do my best in producing reports that will apprise the residents of Oak Forest as to the criminal activity in our neighborhoods.
To everyone:
A resident who has questions regarding an incident is always welcome to call and speak to a police
department supervisor to find out the details of the crime. They will share with you what they are allowed to at the time,
as stated earlier, depending on if there is an ongoing investigation that would prohibit the sharing of information. Also,
if you feel more comfortable calling your alderman, they should be able to get this information for you as well. I highly
advise you to seek out the information in the official police report rather than relying 100% on someone's version of
an incident unless you are getting it directly from the victim. But I will caution you that there are victims who choose not
to give the exact version of events to the police as they fear the suspect may retaliate against them in some way or another,
and then they go around telling their friends another version of the events. This is one way, among many, we end up with conflicting
stories about an incident, and the result is the police get blamed for a cover up. I have not seen any such activity within
our police department thus far; although, I have just recently begun to work more closely with the department. Therefore,
I do trust their expertise in the matters of police business.
For those who are apprehensive in calling the police department
or their alderman to verify the facts, in all fairness, my only request is: Please do not share any misinformation you may
have about an incident or issue before you have done your homework. If someone claims to be sharing factual information, it's
always beneficial to supply the source to back up your statements. If you are posting just to complain, you are not helping
yourself or anyone to reach an informed, factual conclusion. (I fully understand how this statement will raise the hair on
the back of many necks. Yes, you are entitled to your complaints, but that is not what helps resolving a perceived problem.)
I do believe that our city is a safe place to live and crime is not spiraling out of control here. We have to remember,
all communities have their share of crime, and it will never be completely stopped. We can make sure it is reduced and stays
at a minimum. The crime-free housing program has helped in reducing incidences in our city.
I trust our police department
is doing the best that they can to respond to all calls that come in. We have to remember they are not security guards who
are expected to sit around and always watch for crime to happen, and I emphasize always. The police are employed, firstly,
to respond to a situation and, secondly, to be watchful to the best of their ability. There are only so many officers on a
shift at a time, and they cannot be expected to cover every inch of the city all hours of the day. That's why it is every
resident's responsibility to get involved in their neighborhood watch program.
If there isn't a neighborhood
watch program in someone's ward or on their block, then they should start one. Get your alderman involved in organizing
a watch program with you. I cannot emphasize this enough: WE ALL SHARE IN THE RESPONSIBILITY AS A COMMUNITY IN KEEPING OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. As with any program, when more people get involved, its likelihood of being successful
is enhanced.
There is one other point I would like to touch base on. I have heard mention of residents seeing some officers
on duty who appear not to be doing their job and wasting our tax dollars. To those residents, I urge you to identify the car
number and call a supervisor at the police department and let them know what the officer appears to be doing, at what time
and where. This can be done anonymously. Or if you prefer, call your alderman with the same information to pass along to the
supervisor. If you are apprehensive calling, please refer to an earlier paragraph covering this issue. Please understand that
the officer(s) may be on break or lunch at the time it appears they may be doing nothing or just hanging out. Another possibility
may be their police presence in that location is part of performing their duties. Unless we inquire as to the circumstances,
all we have are assumptions. Or it very well may be they are misusing their time on the job. If this is the case, they will
be warned by their supervisor, and hopefully, the misuse will discontinue on the officer's part. It would only be fair
to first find out what they are doing before we assume; a picture does not always tell the whole story. It is of the utmost
importance to check the facts before posting something that may develop into a rash of assumptions. It should go without saying
that this should be the platform on all issues. I wish to believe we all would prefer the truth. Yes, we are all entitled
to our opinions, but sharing our opinions is not the same as giving well informed/researched information to the public. And
just as the person giving their opinion is entitled, the person reading it is entitled to question the basis of that opinion;
and we are obligated to do so.(I know! These last few sentences were way over the top in preaching, but I felt it necessary
to say. Some of you may even be thinking you should have skipped over this after all. It's not too late, or is it? :)
If I have overstayed my welcome, please accept my humble apologies. But I believe these are important issues that need to
be addressed. A lot of it is just plain old common sense. For those who found my thoughts that seem to go on endlessly as
if it were a book (some may call it a diatribe) interesting and worth reading, thank you for taking precious time out of your
day to do so.
All I hope is that we consider each of our issues in fairness and find a balance where the residents of
Oak Forest and the police department can work together in keeping our community as safe as possible. The doors and phone lines
are open at the police department 24/7. All we have to do is pick up the phone, stop in personally, compose an e-mail, or
if it's not an urgent matter, use snail mail.
Be safe, be well!
Eva LaRoche
3rd Ward Coordinator
Crime
Prevention Commission Member
evalaroche@sbcglobal.net
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8/17/2008
To "Neighbor Watch":
I do agree with you that each ward's alderman should be involved
in the process of setting up and continuing a neighborhood watch program as they are residents of this community as well as
the City official representing the residents of their ward.
Also, the Crime Prevention Commission is always available
to help coordinate each ward's efforts in creating a watch program.
I completely understand your reservations about
joining my watch e-mail list. I am now in the process of creating a customized MONTHLY police call report for each ward except
the 1st ward as they have theirs created by Dennis Mitzner (Fieldcrest) and Steve McDonald (Gingerwood). This is the first
time I am attempting to create these reports, so it may take me a week or so to put it together. More specifically, Sgt. Beatty,
with his many years of experience in law enforcement, will be helping me create a more accurate report with a very short summary
of the criminal activity. Also, he will let me know what I am legally allowed to share with the public. Sgt. Beatty has reassured
me that there is no cover up going on in the police department, and I have no reason to not trust his word. I am told that
the daily police call report I am supplied with lists all calls that have come in to the police department.
I believe
it is important to get this information out to as many residents as possible, therefore, I would have no problem posting the
monthly reports on this website for those who wish to remain anonymous. All residents are entitled to this information.
When I have finished creating the reports, I will post them for all to see.
Be safe, be well!
Eva LaRoche
3rd
Ward Coordinator
Crime Prevention Commission Member
evalaroche@sbcglobal.net
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