Bitter winter temperatures have an up side, it turns out.

In fact, some Uptown residents at Wednesday night's CAPS meeting for beat 2313 were not looking forward to all that improving temperatures will bring to the neighborhood.
 
Freezing temperatures bring a drop in loitering and public drunkenness. 

Officers in the 23rd district told the group that they will continue to patrol problem areas, including Sheridan Road and Clarendon Park, as the weather brings more people outdoors.

Prostitution,  ride solicitation and suspicious behavior in  the area around the 1000 block of West Wilson Ave. were also a source of complaints.

Officer Margaret Murphy encouraged community members to "take back the neighborhood" from troublemakers.

"Do some positive loitering," she told the group.

There was good news as well. CAPS officers reported a drop in the number of burglaries and thefts in the area compared to the same period last year, an improvement they attributed to an increase in residents' calls to police.

Richard Thale, who chairs the CAPS Court Advocacy program, encouraged local residents to join him in attending court hearings scheduled for March.

It is important, he said, that community members show support for the legal system and the police officers behind the arrests, particularly of repeat offenders.

The officers also told residents that a list of sex offenders in the area can be viewed at the 23rd District Community Policing office.

Volunteers are needed for a neighborhood clean-up beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 29. Interested parties should meet at the corner of Agatite and Hazel and bring a pair of work gloves.

Beat 2313 is bordered by Montrose, Wilson, Broadway, and Lake Michigan.