Honoring Michael Bailey, ‘One Of Our Own’ City residents mourn, summon strength, call for unity

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by admin in Community Focus

At a sundown prayer vigil last Wednesday, Chicago residents, members of the Park Manor community, and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) gathered to mourn, to honor and celebrate the life of police officer Michael Bailey. Bailey’s funeral was held Friday at St. Sabina’s Catholic Church. Officer Bailey died in an attempted robbery on the morning of Sunday, July 18 in front of his Park Manor home while cleaning his car. He’d just returned from his overnight post guarding Mayor Daley’s home. He was still wearing his uniform.

Bailey and the assailant(s) exchanged fire and he was fatally injured. The 62 year-old Bailey, was going to retire in August. Bailey, a great father and friend, according to family spokeswoman Stephanie Tatum, was also Vice President of the 74th and Evans Block Club. Speakers talked of Bailey’s dedication to his family, to his community. As they spoke of his life, they also spoke of their frustrations and the need to move forward, to come together and transform the community, their lives.

“We will not be scared,” said Darlene Tribue, President of the Park Manor Neighbors’ Community Council before a crowd of residents, ministers, officers and local officials at the intersection of 74th and Evans. “We stand strong as one Park Manor…Share yourself outwardly, love, show forgiveness…help repair the cracks in our village.” “I am very angry about what causes us to be here,” said Freddrenna Lyle, Alderman of the 6th Ward, also home to slain police officer and Iraq veteran Thomas Wortham IV. Lylestood amidst the crowd just a few feet from Henry O. Tanner Elementary School. “I went to Tanner,” she said, adding that she’d walk to school and back every day without fear of any harassment. “They had gangs,” she clarified,”  but “they weren’t taking our babies and seniors…because they had respect…they were a part of the community… something’s changed.” Park Manor has  to contend with this change. “We go through so much turmoil…to change,” Tribue said, adding that she hopes this can be a time to  heal, rise up, thrive and grow in the great city of Chicago. Park Manor stretches north to south from State Street to Cottage Grove and east to west from 67th to 79th, encompassing about four square miles. Residents have been in Park Manor for 65 years, according  to Tribue. “We had to fight to come in here and we’re going to fight to stay here,” she said. That fight requires courage  and unity. “If we can quite finger pointing, we can point the shooters out,” said activist Andrew Holmes.

The reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer(s) of Officer Bailey was up to $65,000, Weis sad  at the vigil. The Fraternal Order of Police Chicago is offering $25,000 and urges anyone with information to call Area 2 Detectives at 312-747- 8272. “We don’t care if the motivation  is reward money, good citizenship or whatever. Just please let us get these criminals off the street. If they kill a police officer, the question comes up, “Who’s next?’” Weis said at a press conference last week. Bailey was the third officer killed since May. CPD has received calls threatening the lives of police officers, United Press International (UPI) reports. The threats, according to UPI, have been toward officers patrolling the Chatham community, where both Bailey and Wortham were residents. Weis said CPD takes the threats seriously but hasn’t found them to be credible, UPI reports.

Bailey’s death and the treats came just weeks after the city’s  new handgun ordinance, which went into effect July 12. The ordinance requires that residents who own a firearm(s) or are looking to purchase a firearm(s) fill out an  application for a Chicago Firearm Permit (CFP), necessary for legally registering a firearm. Visit www.chicagopolice.org for more details. In order to truly transform the city, to ensure the safety of its  residents, it will take efforts on the part of police, public officials and residents—the entire community. “We have to bring the people responsible for this to justice,” said Chicago Police Superintendent  Jody Weis. “As a community we can overcome this.”

Tags: Shanita Bigelow