In early June, shortly after a drive-by shooting near Estes and Ridge, Rogers Park residents declared war on crime. But instead of targeting gang members or drug dealers they’ve gone after Marty Merel, a landlord who owns or manages about ten apartment buildings on the far north side. Residents blame Merel for everything from litter to crime, saying he doesn’t screen his tenants or properly maintain his properties. They’ve picketed Merel’s home in Skokie and complained about him to his mortgage holders–all in an attempt to force him to sell his buildings.
Both sides agree that Rogers Park has changed over the years. Some residents, like Wuest, recall an idyllic ethnically mixed community, where children could play in the parks and on the streets after dark. As they tell the story there was no fear of crime, and the closest thing to gangs were the neighborhood bullies, their hair greased back, who smoked cigarettes and lurked in alleyways trying to look menacing. They might have beat each other up, but they rarely hurt anyone else.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
“I take it as a healthy sign that people want to fight for their neighborhood, although I’m not sure that things are as bad as people say,” says 49th Ward alderman Joe Moore. “People have a tendency to glorify the past as the good old days. But the good old days weren’t all that great, and these days aren’t all that bad. It may be hard to believe, but I know for a fact that we had more abandoned buildings here in the 70s than we do today. We have some of the most active community groups and school councils. Loyola University is a strong anchor. I’m optimistic.”
In late May, the windows on Wuest’s van were blown out in a drive-by shooting. “It was ten o’clock at night and I heard a bunch of pops,” says Wuest. “I was shaking, I was so scared. The first thing I worried about was whether my kids–who were sleeping in the front bedroom–were all right. The gun used was a semiautomatic.”
Some of the residents contend that Merel, who operates his properties with the help of his wife and son, is in over his head–that he’s taken on more buildings than he can handle. But again Merel disagrees.
