



All of them described the erosion of a sense of community over the years as their neighborhood has grown more violent. The violence has become more frequent and intense as a gang conflict from neighboring Back of the Yards grew into Brighton Park and gangs have used rifles, wounding dozens over the last year.



"Right now, everybody is scared," said the man who attended to the victim. "Nobody on this block is going to let their kids go outside unless they're outside with them, and they're not going to let them out of their sight. No bikes, no park, because of the bull----."



Another neighbor, Olivia, described the problem parents have been facing over the last few years.



"Either you have your kid in the house, or you let them go outside and they join a gang," Olivia said. "We kept ours in the house."



For years, Olivia said she has organized the 4600 South Troy Avenue block party. She gathers signatures and files the paperwork. The tradition is one that children look forward to.



She gave instructions to others on the block to pull the permit, if they wanted, but nobody has yet. "It's too dangerous. I don't want something to happen," she said. "I don't want that on my conscience."



She and other neighbors call the police on the relatively minor transgressions — suspicious cars, drug sales — but the police seem unresponsive to their calls until something major happens.



Juanita sat on her porch with her husband, an American flag hanging from a flagpole and another on the front door. Her contribution to the block party is coffee, homemade pastries, juice for kids. Last Fourth of July, she rolled out a popcorn machine and hot dog cart.



"I've been a community person since I can remember," she said. She's considered the block's grandmother. "The block parties were good because in the winter the neighbors rarely see each other. They were a good time to catch up."