June 11, 2013 – A plan by 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly to let businesses and non-profit groups in River North pay for increased police protection could be ready this fall.

Reilly has been floating the proposal since last October but interest renewed in April following disturbances on Michigan Avenue involving large groups of teen-agers.

He says the plan triggers an agreement the city already has that allows it to hire off-duty, uniformed police officers.

“The idea here is that this would not be a ‘rent-a-cop’ per se,” Reilly told Loop North News on Monday. “We’d be bringing these cops back at 30 bucks an hour for a minimum six-hour shift. They would be directed by active duty police personnel and they would simply supplement on-duty patrols in a certain geography.”

While the officers would not guard individual storefronts, Reilly (left) says, “this is a way business owners or philanthropists can raise money to layer in additional off-duty presence and protection at a pretty affordable rate.”

Besides River North, the plan would be tried out initially in Englewood south of the Loop and possibly on the northwest side of Chicago. He says the plan has the support of Mayor Emanuel. “We’re hoping we’ll be in a position to roll something out in the fall.”

On March 30, a crowd of about 400 teens converged on the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue. As the crowd became increasingly volatile, fights broke out between rival groups. Police made 29 arrests and broke up the crowd. Only minor injuries were reported. There were other incidents in River North during the first few months of the year, such as groups of teens running into the street and obstructing traffic.

Reilly says his downtown ward is safe thanks to an increased police protection on North Michigan Avenue and the lakefront.

“I’ve received a lot of comments from my constituents that they’re very pleased to see the clusters of officers along the ‘Mag Mile,’” he said. “We have additional police bike patrols that run through River North and I know the shopkeepers are appreciative of that. I would say that, knock on wood, we’re having a pretty good season.”

Photo: Aerial view of Water Tower and Michigan Avenue from John Hancock Center on May 14, 2009.