>> THANK YOU.
>> IT WAS ONCE KNOWN AS THE
GATEWAY TO THE SOUTH SUBURBS BUT
HAS FALLEN ON HARD TIMES DUE TO
DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT AND
POVERTY.
HARVEY HAS BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH
POLITICAL AND POLICE CORRUPTION
AND STRUGGLED WITH THE HIGHEST
NUMBER OF HOMICIDES OF ANY
MUNICIPALITY IN COOK COUNTY
OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO.
LOCALS BELIEVE THERE ARE REASONS
FOR OPTIMISM AND BIG CHANGES
AFOOT IN MONTHS.
HARVEY IS WHERE PARIS SCHUTZ
SPENT THE DAY REPORTING AS PART
OF OUR "IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
SERIES".
PARIS JOINS US OUTSIDE THE
HARVEY CITY HALL.
>> YOU MENTIONED THOSE
CHALLENGES JAVY FINISHED LAST
YEAR WITH 31 HOMICIDES.
AND ALSO RIGHT NOW THE TOWN IS
DEALING WITH 100% CAPACITY AT
ENGLES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL THE
BIGGEST HOSPITAL IN TOWN AND HAS
FEDERAL HELP TO DEAL WITH THE
OMICRON SURGE.
BUT THERE ARE REASONS TO BELIEVE
THAT HARVEY IS TURNING THE
CORNER FROM THE HISTORIC
PROBLEMS.
IT WAS ONCE A HUB OF
MANUFACTURING, LONG TIME HOME TO
THE DIXIE MALL, IMMORTALIZED IN
THE BLUES BROTHERS MOVIE.
A THIRD OF THE TOWN'S 20,000
RESIDENTS LIVE BELOW THE FEDERAL
POVERTY LEVEL AND THE TOWN DEALT
WITH ALLEGATIONS OF POLITICAL
CORRUPTION.
BUT IN 2019 THE LONG TIME MAYOR
ERIC KELLOGG STEPPED DOWN AND A
CHIEF CRITICS CHRISTOPHER CLARK
TOOK OVER.
CLARK TOOK THE STEP OF FIRING
THE POLICE CHIEF AND ANNOUNCING
AN OVERHAUL OF THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AFTER SOME VERY
PUBLIC ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION
IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND RIGHT NOW HARVEY NATIVE
32-YEAR-OLD DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF
CAMERON BIDDINGS IS OVERSEEING
THAT TRANSITION.
SAYS THEY ARE HIRING NEW
OFFICERS, INVESTING IN NEW
TECHNOLOGY LIKE A NEW FLEET OF
VEHICLES HE SAYS FOR THE FIRST
TIME IN 20 YEARS.
A NEW 411 SYSTEM AND MUCH MORE.
>> WE CURRENTLY HAVE A GUNSHOT
DETECTION SYSTEM WE'RE PUTTING
IN PLACE THAT WILL HELP WITH THE
SHOOTINGS THAT ARE OCCURRING THE
SHOTS FIRED PEOPLE ARE HEARING
OUTSIDE THEIR HOMES AT NIGHT AND
WE HAVE A SYSTEM WHICH IS
LICENSE PLATE READER DEVICES
PLACED THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT
ARE GOING TO HELP US WITH THE
STOLEN AUTOS.
WE ARE BEING PRO-ACTIVE TO
COMMON BACK THE CRIME WE'RE
DEALING WITH.
>> HARVEY WAS NAMED OF ONE OF
NINE CITIES IN THE NATION TO
RECEIVE A GRANT FROM THE
ROBINHOOD FOUNDATION TO FIGHT
POVERTY UPLIFT HARVEY THAT
PROVIDE SERVICES FROM MENTAL
HEALTH TO JOB AND SKILLS AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING AND
UPLIFT HARVEY SAYS IT'S SEEING
RESULTS IN THE TOWN.
>> IDEALLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
HAVE PEOPLE DISINVESTED IN A
COMMUNITY IT TAKES ONE PERSON TO
START MAKING A CHANGE.
PEOPLE MIGHT DECIDE LET'S LOOK
BACK AT HARVEY AND SEE WHAT IS
GOING ON.
>> A GROUP OF KIDS WHO LIVE WITH
THEIR AUNTS AND WE GOT THEM
CONNECTED WITH OUR SUMMER JOBS
PROGRAM.
THEY'VE GONE THROUGH OUR JOB
READINESS PROGRAM AND THEY ARE
ALSO NOW A PART OF OUR
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM.
AND THEY JUST FOLLOW US WHEREVER
WE GO WHATEVER PROGRAMS.
>> AND THE REFUGE CHURCH HAS
BEEN OPERATING IN HARVEY FOR
EIGHT YEARS TRYING TO UPLIFT
COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL.
CHURCH LEADER LED A MASSIVE COAT
AND FOOD-DRIVE OVER THE HOLIDAYS
AND THEY ARE THERE FOR THE
RESIDENTS' DEEPEST NEEDS.
>> THERE IS A LOT OF DISPARITY.
THERE IS A LOT OF BROKENNESS.
WE HAVE OUR DESIRE IS TO HELP
REBUILD THE REBUILDING AND
RECOVERY OF THE CITY.
SO WE ACTUALLY MAKE AVAILABLE
RECOVERY SERVICES.
COUNSELING AND THINGS OF THAT
NATURE.
BUT ALSO WE HAVE A HOUSING
PROGRAM.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HOUSE OVER
15 FAMILIES UP TO THIS POINT AND
WE DO IT ON OUR OWN DIME.
>> AND SPEAKING OF HOUSING, CITY
LEADERS ARE TOUTING THE BIGGEST
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT HERE IN 20
YEARS.
A FIVE STOREY, 51 UNIT DOWNTOWN
APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH HELP FROM
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO HOUSE
PEOPLE WHO WORK NEARBY.
>> THIS IS A HUGE DEAL.
THIS IS AN INDICATION THAT THE
PRIVATE SECTOR IS LOOKING AT
HARVEY THAT WE'RE OPEN FOR
BUSINESS.
THEY SEE THEY CAN GET PROJECTS
DONE.
THEY ARE HAPPY ABOUT THE NEW
ADMINISTRATION OF BEING ABLE TO
WORK WITH US AND GET THIS
LEGISLATION PACKAGED AND THROUGH
SO WE CAN BREAK GROUND AND GET
THE PROJECTS GOING.
>> NOW, TO THE COVID SURGE NOT
SURPRISINGLY IT'S HIT THIS TOWN
HARD AND IT'S SOCKED THE U OF
C'S ENGLES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
THEY HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT 100%
CAPACITY FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
THE HOSPITAL SAW A PEAK OF 95
COVID PATIENTS PER DAY AND IT'S
DOWN TO 80.
BUT IT IS OVERTAXED THE FACILITY
AND THE WORKERS TO THE POINT
WHERE THE HELMUT JAHN DEPARTMENT
SENT 20 PLUS DOCTORS, NURSES AND
PHARMACISTS TO ASSIST WITH THE
ACTIVITY.
THE COVID SURGE MEANT LONG ER
WAIT TIMES AND POSTPONEMENT OF
CRITICAL CARE.
>> IT'S VERY CHALLENGING.
IT'S PUTTING A LOT OF ADDITIONAL
PRESSURES ON LONG WAIT TIMES TO
GET IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
BED CAPACITY ISSUES.
COVID PATIENTS REQUIRE
SPECIALIZELATION WHICH INHIBITS
OUR ABILITY TO HAVE CAPACITY IN
THE HOSPITAL.
>> AND THE MORALE HAS TAKEN A
HIT WITH THE OMICRON SURGE AND
THE FEDERAL WORKERS ARE EXPECTED
TO BE THERE THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY.
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE PASSED
THE PEAK OF THE COVID CASES.
MANY NOTABLE RESIDENTS FROM
HARVEY, TOM DEGREES EN AND MY
LATE FATHER BORN AND RAISED HERE
IN HARVEY.
WE WILL BE BACK WITH THE MAYOR