Dear Neighbor:

On March 24, 2009, the South Side Irish Parade Committee voted to discontinue the parade citing issues of public safety and crowd control. Since then, many have discussed resurrecting this once great, family-friendly parade. My position on this event has never changed; I could not in good conscience support the return of the South Side Irish Parade until the Parade Committee can implement a proper public safety plan to prevent rowdy, drunken, and often violent behavior that has become synonymous with the parade in recent years.  Moreover, I have argued that parade organizers should reimburse the City for the $300,000 in services and police protection associated with this two hour event. In the past, these expenses have been almost exclusively shouldered by the taxpayers.

Last week, members of the Parade Committee shared with me their public safety plan and budget for reviving the parade this year.  Unfortunately, the safety plan they offered was not a detailed, strategic proposal authored by a professional security consultant. Rather, they submitted a single sheet of paper that listed roughly a dozen bullet points aimed at establishing a "zero tolerance policy" for open alcohol at the event.  Seeking guidance from the law enforcement community, I shared this plan with several police officials. Each raised several valid concerns. Our conclusion is that this plan is well-intentioned, but terribly insufficient and very difficult to execute.

Given the committee's failure to submit a comprehensive security plan, I sent the attached letter to Mayor Emanuel formally requesting the permit application be denied for 2012. On January 12th, I was informed that the Department of Transportation had issued the permit over my objection and despite serious public safety concerns.  I firmly disagree with the city's position on this matter; the first duty of any government body is to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents. Past parades have seriously jeopardized the safety of our community.  

Moving beyond the overwhelming public safety concerns, this parade becomes even more difficult to justify in light of the $300,000 cost to the taxpayers. To address a $635 million dollar budget deficit, the City has closed mental health centers and police stations, raised water rates, reduced library hours, and laid off 9-1-1 operators; how then can we possibly justify spending $300,000 on a two hour parade?

Moving forward, I have asked that the Department of Transportation, Chicago Police Department, and South Side Irish Parade Committee hold a public meeting to hear from residents about past problems and explore potential solutions.  The parade committee has pledged to do everything in their power to hold a safe and successful event. If appropriate solutions cannot be found, I would hope the parade committee would forgo a 2012 parade. 

As Alderman, I will work to ensure that the Parade Committee and city government will be held accountable for the responsibilities they have agreed to assume in staging a parade. If you have questions or concerns you wish to raise in advance of the public meeting, please contact the Chicago Department of Transportation at (312) 744-4652 or Michael.Simon@ex.cityofchicago.org. Otherwise, I will notify the public when a meeting has been scheduled. 

Thank you, 
 
Matt O'Shea
Alderman, 19th Ward 

Click below for:
Zero Tolerance PR Plan
Security Plan