{"id":88060,"date":"2020-03-16T13:47:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T18:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=88060"},"modified":"2020-03-16T13:47:33","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T18:47:33","slug":"boystown-business-group-to-tap-security-firm-tied-to-cop-with-racist-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/boystown-business-group-to-tap-security-firm-tied-to-cop-with-racist-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Boystown business group to tap security firm tied to cop with racist past"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Adam Rhodes<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

The Northalsted Business Alliance (NHBA), a business group in the North Side queer enclave of Boystown, plans to tap Walsh Security as its summer security provider, just weeks after a local community center ousted the firm amid activist pressure over its owner\u2019s racist and violent past.<\/p>\n

Jennifer Gordon, a representative for the NHBA, told Medill Reports in an email on Friday that the group planned to hire Walsh Security to provide private security from May through the end of October.<\/p>\n

The disclosure comes just weeks after local LGBT community center, Center on Halsted, replaced Walsh Security after pressure from local activists. Medill Reports reported in late January<\/a> that Center on Halsted awarded a new security contract to Quantum Security, which has a track record of providing security to LGBT organizations in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Center on Halsted\u2019s move has not affected our plans to move forward with Walsh Security,\u201d Gordon said in her email.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Walsh Security is owned by Chicago police officer Thomas Walsh from the nearby 19th district. Racial equity activists in Boystown recently focused their efforts on Center on Halsted and its now-terminated contract with Walsh Security over the police officer\u2019s actions toward a Black security guard at a Boystown gay bar almost 7 years ago.<\/p>\n

In late November 2013, Walsh assaulted a Black security guard at the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge gay bar and repeatedly used racist slurs against the man during an altercation at the bar, according to a March 2015 report by the Independent Police Review Authority on the incident.<\/p>\n

Community members and activists have also accused Walsh Security of targeting and profiling those who congregate in the community center\u2019s lobby, namely the queer youth of color.<\/p>\n

The NHBA\u2019s decision to hire Walsh Security, after Center on Halsted\u2019s very public decision to oust the firm combined with the IPRA findings, shows the deep divide between the Boystown establishment, and the diverse community it serves.<\/p>\n

Activists and their allies said it was another indication of the rampant racism in the community.<\/p>\n

Local activist Jamie Frazier, the founder and lead pastor at Lighthouse Church of Chicago who was a prominent figure in much of last year\u2019s protests, was surprised and disappointed at the openness of the NHBA\u2019s commitment to Walsh Security.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that the Northalsted Business Alliance has not proactively fired Walsh after the public airing of his racist activities as well as his attempt to cover it up \u2026 shows the depths of racism in and around Boystown,\u201d Frazier said.<\/p>\n

According to the NHBA\u2019s website, its board is made up of representatives from some of Boystown\u2019s most popular businesses, including the neighborhood\u2019s principal gay bar Sidetrack and The Chicago Diner, a meat-free restaurant in the neighborhood. Micah Hilgendorf, one of the co-owners of the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, where the 2013 incident involving Walsh took place, is also on the board.<\/p>\n

Lighthouse Church\u2019s Frazier said he planned to continue his work to dismantle racism in Boystown, including the continued employment of Walsh Security in the neighborhood. As part of that effort, he has met with business leaders, including the owner of Sidetrack and one of the co-owners of D.S. Tequila Co., a Boystown restaurant and bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very clear to me that the Northalsted Business Alliance is not going to do the right thing unless they are pushed to do it,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m hopeful that they do the right thing and engage this work as partners, not as adversaries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Despite the allegations of racism plaguing Walsh Security and its owner Thomas Walsh, a local police officer, the Northalsted Business Alliance plans to select the security firm as its security provider for the coming summer. (Adam Rhodes\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Adam Rhodes Medill Reports The Northalsted Business Alliance (NHBA), a business group in the North Side queer enclave of Boystown, plans to tap Walsh Security as its summer security provider, just weeks after a local community center ousted the firm amid activist pressure over its owner\u2019s racist and violent past. Jennifer Gordon, a representative […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":661,"featured_media":88062,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,675,4892],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-social-justice","category-winter-2020"],"yoast_head":"\nBoystown business group to tap security firm tied to cop with racist past - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/boystown-business-group-to-tap-security-firm-tied-to-cop-with-racist-past\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Boystown business group to tap security firm tied to cop with racist past - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Adam Rhodes Medill Reports The Northalsted Business Alliance (NHBA), a business group in the North Side queer enclave of Boystown, plans to tap Walsh Security as its summer security provider, just weeks after a local community center ousted the firm amid activist pressure over its owner\u2019s racist and violent past. 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