A wall in the Whalley Avenue police substation is posted with the mug shots of 25 young African-American men. The 25 aren’t wanted for any crime. They’re men the district’s new top cop aims to push out of the neighborhood or into jail.
Lt. Leo Bombalicki explained his plans at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Whalley-Edgewood-Beaver Hill (WEB) Management Team. It was the lieutenant’s introductory appearance at the meeting. Bombalicki Monday became the fourth district manager in a year of the WEB management district, taking the place of Lt. Sydney Collier, who vacated the post in December.
In one of his first acts as a the new WEB district manager, Bombalicki sat his officers down and put together a list of suspicious characters in the area.
“We’ve come up with a who’s who of problems,” Bombalicki said on Tuesday night, gesturing towards the wall of mug shots. Each black and white image depicted a young African-American man, along with his name, height and identifying characteristics. The 25 individuals are a mixture of younger and older men, all over 16.
To nods of approval from the 10 people at the meeting, the lieutenant explained that he had instructed his officers to look out for the 25 young men. Bombalicki said that as the individuals were dealt with, he planned to move their pictures to a second wall, the “away” wall, meaning that they were out of the neighborhood or in jail.
“I would say we have an organized problem,” Bombalicki said. “It’s too organized to be just a group of kids hanging around.”
Asked for clarification, Bombalicki spelled it out. “A gang,” he said.
“I don’t know how they’re affiliated,” Bombalicki said. “But it doesn’t add up.” He said that he suspects that he might be dealing with “multiple independent groups.”
“We will find out,” he assured the management team. “Trust me.”
Bombalicki also informed the meeting that he’d visited some of the local barber shops, which have been a problem area for loitering in the neighborhood.
“I went in and spoke with them already,” the lieutenant said. He told barbers, “Mind your Ps and Qs… no loitering… no selling drugs… it will not be tolerated.”
After the meeting, Bombalicki explained that the group of 25 young men on the wall were individuals who had been known to be problematic in the past, or had had negative contact with the police. “They’re people officers think are problems in the neighborhood.”
None of them is currently wanted for a crime, Bombalicki said. He later explained that it was a “safe assumption” that they had all been arrested in the past, since their pictures were on file.
Bombalicki said that the “away” wall would be for people he had put into jail. “That’s my job, isn’t it?” he asked.
He said that the “away” wall could also include individuals who had been driven out of the neighborhood and into neighboring districts.
The lieutenant said he has used the “wall” system in the past. “It’s quite effective,” Bombalicki said. “Know your problems.”
With regard the 25 individuals, Bombalicki has ordered his officers to “gather more intelligence.” He wants his officers to look out for them and interact with them when they see them.
“Talk to them. Find out what they’re doing and why,” he said. “They don’t all stand around on the corner for their health!”
Beaver Hills Alderman Moti Sandman praised Bombalicki’s system. “I like it. You’ve got to be pro-active,” he said. “If you wait until the crime is committed, it’s too late.”
Contacted the next day by telephone, Bombalicki expanded on his statements at the meeting, saying that strategies to deal with problematic individuals could include mediation and intervention. “All resources are available and will be used,” he said. “Our intent is to prevent and hopefully cure the problem.”