Politics & Government
South Heights Business Owner Wants Crime-Free Housing
Owner of Patsy's Pizza says prostitutes and panderers show up in the spring.
South Chicago Heights should join other Illinois communities in implementing a crime-free housing ordinance, a local business owner told the Village Board of Trustees at their March 7 meeting.
Crime-free housing ordinances originated in Arizona and then spread outward to other states, including Illinois. Such ordinances are designed to regulate landlords and rental housing in regards to crime prevention on the rental property.
Vicky Stilts, who owns Patsy’s Pizza in the 2800 block of Chicago Road, spoke in favor of such an ordinance in South Chicago Heights, opining that it would go a long way towards helping police deal with problems that have been spreading south through the Chicago suburbs.
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“I know spring is on the way when I have a prostitute and a panderer [on the sidewalk] outside my restaurant,” Stilts said.
South Chicago Heights already has laws in place to deal with some offenses, including a nuisance abatement ordinance, Mayor David Owen said.
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Moreover, the village is not a Home Rule community. It would need Home Rule status in order to pass the ordinance, Owen added. According to the state of Illinois constitution, Home Rule shifts decision-making from the state level to the local level.
Stilts questioned this stipulation, claiming that the city of Des Plaines is not a Home Rule community but has a “very effective” crime-free housing ordinance in place.
“That may be due to population,” Owen said. Des Plaines is a city of 56,000-plus, according to census data. South Chicago Heights has a population of less than 4,000.
Cities past a certain size may be exempt from the Home Rule provision, Owen said. Village attorney Parker Johnson said he would look into it.
The question of Home Rule has already been rejected at the ballot box, Owen added.
Nonetheless, Home Rule would afford monetary advantages to the village. For example, the village can charge no more than $350 to have a car towed. But under Home Rule it could charge up to $750.
Editor's Note: Contrary to what Stilts states in this article, Des Plaines, IL does have Home Rule business taxes.
