Interview with Ald. Debra Silverstein
Technology Can Help with Public Safety Issues
Ald. Debra Silverstein explained to League interviewer Debby Halpern that the 50th Ward on the far Northeast Side of the city, as a majority-minority ward with many different religions represented and over 30 different languages spoken, is special and unique. Among other things:
One of the main streets, Devon Avenue, boasts Indian restaurants, a kosher bakery, and a Muslim bookstore within blocks of each other. As Ald. Silverstein put it, “The entire Midwest comes to shop there.”
Her office helps coordinate such services as street cleaning and garbage pick-up to avoid interfering with religious holidays and practices such as the Jewish Sabbath from sundown Friday through Saturday and Jummah on Friday, the holy day of the week in the Islamic tradition.
While the diverse community is known for respecting each other’s backgrounds and religions, there have been some hate crimes, including the smashing of windows of a kosher grocery and synagogue. Ald. Silverstein said the community was aghast and was relieved when the alleged perpetrator was arrested within 24 hours.
The 24th police district in the ward has a safety advisory team for religious institutions and provides advice on how to prevent attacks and protect themselves during an attack should it occur.
Watch the full interview above or read on for more highlights:
With the success of the Devon Avenue streetscape project, which was paid for by tax-increment financing, Ald. Silverstein said that her office is now concentrating on Western, Touhy and Pratt. The Western Avenue study is about at the midway point and is about ready to go to developers. Funds will hopefully come from state grants that are being applied for.
Before the end of the current term in 2023, Ald. Silverstein hopes to get the YMCA that closed in the 50th Ward to reopen. She is also in the process of setting up a Youth Advisory Council for high schoolers to get them involved in different events, as well as in both safety and government programs.
Ald. Silverstein mentioned three ways to improve the operation of the City Council: (1) reduce the number of committees; (2) reduce/eliminate last-minute ordinances that are presented to committees for action with little time for review; and (3) provide a “call button” on the iPads now used by the alders for voting that would alert the presider of the meeting who wishes to speak rather than having to wave to try to get the presider’s attention.