Rowdy Neighbors

So, at about 11:50 PM Monday night I am in my BR getting ready to go to bed and I hear a ruckus outside.  It's a woman and some men, the voices are loud, the tone is angry bordering on aggressive.  I go out into the LR, which is dark, and watch the action; a woman and what I think are 3 men.  Turns out it was 2 women and 2 men, one of whom was on a bike.  One of the women lives across the street and, for reasons I still don't know, was having an argument with the other three.  Interestingly, the two men are also making noises at each other about touching one of the women.  So out comes my house phone (the better for Caller ID to tell them who is calling) and the requisite call to 911.

Yes I gave my address and if they needed my name I would have given that.  I describe the situation and the cavalry starts arriving on scene at about 11:55, 2 SUVs and an unmarked sedan in the space of about 2 minutes.   Must have been a slow night.  By 12:02 AM peace returns.  However not without some entertainment value, such as it in moments like that.  With the arrival of the police the voices all go up a notch or two, the two women mouth off to each other, the bike rider  ambles off with the other woman, the lady from across the street is told she can go, and the last guy is told to get his trash that he tossed onto the PT Cruiser and vamoose.  He doesn't leave until he makes sure the officers get an earful of life as he knows it.

I have been here since March 2006 and this has been a noisier summer than any of the others.  I suspect we will be watching the building across the street from now on.  Most of the property in this neck of Birchwood is condos and  townhomes, plus one immense SF on the corner with Sheridan, a rental building next to the lake with a decent reputation, and this apartment building.  I gathered from the shouting that at least one of the guys may be from the South Side, neither of the men are working and I am not sure about the non-resident female.  Somebody is paying rent with a Section 8 voucher.

I suspect neighborhood vigilance will be increasing here.  Based on who I saw inside the backyard gate of the SF, and hearing my neighbor's window, I was not the only 911 call about the ruckus.  I am glad it was nothing more than a noisy ruckus and I don't ever want a situation like that to ever escalate beyond noise.  That said, if the riff raff that frequents Howard thinks it will get a pass by coming over to my little corner of the world they are in for a world of hurt.  The neighbors are not going to stand for that kind of behavior.  Aside from being rude, it simply cannot be allowed to escalate.  We will have to pay attention if we are to nip it in the bud.  My phone and garden shears are ready!