Priorities

A party bus crackdown....sort of:

• The city of Chicago is cracking down on party bus operators who are not following the law.
  
  So far this weekend, Chicago Police working with the city issued five tickets to party buses not following a city ordinance, enacted in April, that requires security guards be on board for trips with 15 passengers or more, trips that serve alcohol, or those that makes stops to drink.

Five tickets. Wow.

Meanwhile, this is happening in Lincoln Square and citizens are getting irritated with the lack of police:

• After a string of assaults against women walking with young children in strollers, Lincoln Square moms marched Friday in a show of strength and support.
  
  "We're not going to let this keep happening," said Jocelyn Costlow, who organized the event, which drew about 30 participants, or twice that if counting tots.
  
  The sense, she said, is that moms are being targeted because they walk slower with strollers, have their hands full and aren't likely to leave their children to pursue an offender.
  
  "It's despicable in any case, but to prey on women who can't chase back? You can't run with a stroller," said Deanne Puloka.

Actually, that's the intelligent choice of target - one who can't or won't pursue. No one said criminals are all dumb - they operate on a "risk/reward" system. Why pick on an athletic muscle bound jogger who might actually chase you when you have so much easier prey? And with the lack of charging, convicting and punishing, the "risk" number is rapidly approaching zero.

Don't expect Rahm or O'Connor or Pewar to respond much - they're members of the same group pushing for less punishment, lower bonds, easier sentences, and don't forget - disarming victims.