Over the past couple decades, the Wicker Park and Bucktown communities have changed drastically, and more Chicago visitors are exploring these artistic and trendy neighborhoods. A new program administered by the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce is aiming to ensure the safety and accessibility of those neighborhoods’ streets, and it’s getting help from local businesses. 

The program will take the place of a previously discussed plan to hire private security officers to patrol the neighborhood. Local business employees will volunteer to act as unarmed ambassadors to the community, doing everything from offering directions to keeping the area clean of graffiti and litter. These volunteers will oversee the Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area No. 33, which is comprised of major business corridors along Ashland, Damen, North, Milwaukee, and Western avenues, and Division Street. 

In 2016, the Wicker Park and Bucktown business district secured $50,000 from a special tax levied on business owners. The plan was to use the funds to help beef up security for local stores, including the addition of private security patrols and security cameras. The plan didn’t seem to resonate with local business owners, and many didn’t apply for the funds.

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The WPB Ambassador program, which is slated to start sometime this month, will financially incentivize businesses within the district that want to participate, according to a press release from the chamber. Those who participate will receive a rebate of up to $3,315 per property annually to take part in what the chamber calls the “good Samaritan” program. 

Those who participate in the program will engage with pedestrians within the business district, provide directions, answer neighborhood-related questions, and share knowledge of community attractions and resources. Additionally, the ambassadors will identify and assess beautification and cleanliness issues, including graffiti tags and overflowing trash. Without directly intervening, they will also identify potential threats and safety concerns in the community. If necessary, ambassadors will contact 311 or 911.

“To our knowledge, we’re the first business improvement district in the country to pilot this sort of ‘good Samaritan’ program with our local businesses,” said Wicker Park Bucktown Commission Chair Brent Norsman in the release. “This idea came from several local business owners who were interested in becoming active stewards of the neighborhood experience, which is very exciting to us. The WPB Ambassador program will become an integral part of our existing community engagement, beautification, and safety initiatives.”

The program is intended to be a way for community members and business owners to have a direct impact on the neighborhood. Residents are encouraged to take care of one another and their own streets and build lines of communication. 

Earlier this year, the Chicago Loop Alliance implemented a similar program in the area around State Street, according to the Chicago Tribune. However, the approach downtown is different in that the individuals participating were hired to keep watch, uniformed and armed, in an attempt to curb shoplifting and panhandling. Additionally, the program employs a street team to offer assistance to tourists and keep the streets clean.