Railroad police deny allegations their 'bait trucks' targeted young black community in Chicago
An American shipping giant is defending a sting operation in Chicago after accusations it targeted young black people in the city with a so-called "bait truck" full of Nikes.
The Norfolk Southern Railway Company is denying it targeted young people in Englewood with the tractor trailers and it claims it has video to prove it. They say it's all part of a regular sting operation and Chicago police say they were only assisting.
Two amateur videos have exploded on social media, showing unmarked semi-trailers parked on the south side of Chicago. At least one person said a trailer was unlocked and filled with Nike shoes to tempt residents to steal the product, like bait.
In one video, you see officers pretend to arrest the driver and leave the truck unattended, but police are watching from a distance.
A Norfolk Southern Police spokesperson confirms they held a joint operation with Chicago police last week using the trailers, hoping to "target individuals who have been breaking into freight containers at ns rail yards and nearby areas in south side Chicago."
Chicago police made it clear they were only assisting in the operation.
Railroad police released videos showing a man taking the so-called bait and using a box cutter to break into the trailer, going through unmarked brown boxes that *were filled with Nikes and removing them from the trailer.
Some in the community say this type of sting operation is simply not fair.
"It’s definitely racial profiling,” said resident Kenyon Washington. "They know we are going to get at it because we are struggling, but we kind of realize what they are trying to do."
Some in the community said they were targeting the youth, but Norfolk Southern says the three people arrested range in age from 21 to 59.
The contents inside were also not visible to neighbors and the truck was locked.
The railroad company says freight theft has recently been on the rise on the south side, with people stealing consumer goods and guns and ammunition.
"They know we are going to get at it because we are struggling"
ReplyDeleteAnd then you'll see the alderman get in front of the cameras and start moaning how these areas are food deserts and no stores will open there. What a f-------- surprise. Why would they. So nobody clued these good citizens that its wrong to break into other peoples vehicles/trucks/etc to take property that doesn't belong to them. And how then would these wise community leaders suggest these thefts be prevented without taking the thieves out of the equation.
A few days ago we heard the revs on the news suggesting the city put aside 50 million to reduce the rising tide of violence. Thats right, lets not address the issues of crime and violence, lets just throw taxpayer money at the issue so it might go away. It really shouldn't surprise anyone that Chicagoans are leaving the city in droves just to get away from this crap.
Just for kicks,I wonder how that Whole Foods is holding up on 63rd & Halsted? I'd love to see the shrinkage and loss reports out of that store. Then people wonder how come they're paying over $5.00 a pound for free range chicken
DeleteThey literally have a CPD squad stationed in the parking lot at all times of the day. No joking. And no one ever in there.
DeleteI've seen thugs break into the back of trailers stopped at a traffic light, leaving the doors swinging in the wind as the truck goes down the road. They should set up dozens of these stings every day.
ReplyDeletePut bait truck at 115 bourbon street with gator bites inside, lets see how many cpd guys break in
ReplyDeleteJust leave it alone and you will have no problems!!! Is that to hard?
ReplyDeleteLeftist Logic.
ReplyDeleteTheir railyard at 63rd and State is a goldmine for the local community most of it inside jobs too.
ReplyDeleteLook up the legal definition of entrapment. This does not qualify, unless you come from a shit family with no father and a mother that cannot keep her knees together.
ReplyDeleteWeekly I pick up all the dog shit in my yard and seal it up in a box, I then conveniently leave it on the back of my truck. Within minutes of parking in a neighborhood infested with savages the box is stolen, I can just imagine the look on their faces when they cut their new found loot open.
ReplyDelete