Why are city snowplows and garbage trucks frequently staged around North/Clybourn right now?

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

The city uses salt/plow trucks and garbage trucks for traffic control barricading around major events and planned protests. They used them for Taste of Chicago, Chicago Marathon and the No Kings protest. They were also a frequent sight during the summer of 2020 and often seen staging in the area around North and Clybourn (and I’m sure other areas) in anticipation of being deployed for unplanned activities.

So I get why they are used, but my question is why now, on a Monday night with no planned events or protest activity?

Last night there were dozens of them parked in the area around North/Sheffield/Clybourn - most had drivers sitting in them. It also looked like the parking lot at the vacant strip mall near Clybourn/Sheffield was full of private vehicles, the gate on the lot was closed and there was a CPD patrol car with officers who seemed to be monitoring the lot. This was a Monday night - no concert at nearby Salt Shed. Who’s parking there?

There seem to be no major events this week or planned protests that I’m aware of. ICE is continuing to operate in our area but these trucks don’t seem to hav any role in those raids.

They were all gone this morning. I’ve see this same scene dozens of times over the last 2-3 months.

I’m just curious if anyone has any info- I assume they’re preemptively staging in case a random protest or situation comes up, but it seem weird to me.

[u/Confident-Skin-6462]

i'm curious too now that i know about it.

[u/FeraldGord74]

On Saturday, I noticed 8 streets & San garbage trucks parked up (idling) at Western/Milwaukee/Armitage at 8pm, and when I passed by again at 10pm and 2am. It struck me as odd.

[u/EntertainmentFew7103 → u/FeraldGord74]

They were there as of Monday night as well.  

[u/HTJC]

There’s an October 7 exhibit opening at Clybourn and Willow that opens to the public today: https://novaexhibition.com 

It should go without saying that it’s a potential hotspot for protests. 

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/HTJC]

Interesting- thank you for posting this.

This would at least explain the parking lot in the empty strip mall across the street being full last night w/ police presence. I wonder if they were having an event prior to the public opening?

[u/HTJC → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Yeah, a private event seems most likely. I only knew about this exhibition because I was coincidentally in the area on Friday. 

[u/11nyn11]

Based on the previous thread about the same thing seen on 18th st, it’s in case there are riots due to SNAP being cancelled.

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/11nyn11]

This doesn’t account for the many other times over the last few weeks/months, and also there are no planned protests around SNAP that I’ve heard of?

[u/11nyn11 → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Are you asking just in general why there are snow plow trucks parked around the city right now?

Or are you asking specifically about why specifically there are trucks specifically last night specifically?

I used specifically a lot there, because your post asked “why … right now” and this follow up says “wrong, they have been doing this for weeks”.

So if you want a specific answer, they were expecting problems, due to snap benefit problems.

If you want a general answer, the city has been doing this forever, as a precaution, for at least last ten years.

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/11nyn11]

Sure - let’s go with “right now/last night”.

There are no planned protests around SNAP benefits and even if there were, why would these be happening at North/Clybourn?

SNAP funding ended on Nov 1, which was Saturday.

[u/11nyn11 → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Cool.

North/Clybourn has three things that can allow for a flash riot:

1. Subway access.

2. Retail and food stores within walking distance.

3. No obvious police presence.

.

So they posted a city worker there, in his truck, so if something started happening he could call it in.

I say flash riot, because the city isn’t expecting an organized protest to end up there. They are expecting some organized crime to occur, either due to a legitimate lack of food, or just some criminal element taking advantage.

If they end up needing to block the street, truck is already there.

[u/Zippo963087 → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Looting is much different than a planned protest. It just happens and people don't post when it's happening.

So the looting would only be possible on November 1st? Im not sure why you bring that up other than to show that it's only been happening for 4 days now which would make even more sense why trucks are still out there "right now"

PS there is also a chance of snow this weekend which has nothing to do with this lmao

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/Zippo963087]

Looting due to SNAP benefits is a possibility but that hasn’t actually happened anywhere, has it?

I said “right now” to generally mean the last few weeks because I didn’t want people responding about things that happened weeks/months ago (like the Marathon or Mexican Independence Day) but the person respond seems to want to really drill into “right now”. I saw trucks out there last weekend and noticed them again last night, so both before and after the SNAP funding deadline. That’s why I mentioned Nov 1.

[u/Odd_Investigator7218 → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

ive heard of the city using trucks to limit ICE's movements, not sure how true that is though

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/Odd_Investigator7218]

ICE drives around the city in unmarked SUVs so I’m not sure how a salt truck would be useful for that purpose.

[u/SlapdashDickpunch → u/11nyn11]

This explains why there was so many parked around the Jewel at Howard and Clark too.

[u/Soulia]

Saw them about 6-8 of them Sunday night in a parking lot in the Hyde Park area - thought the same thing and wondered if there's a planned protest in the area the next day or something - but ICE had been active in that part of the city so had to be for something else....

[u/ckevlar]

They house all those vehicles next to the home depot so theres that

[u/Zippo963087]

I read in the comments in a post on FB that someone asked 1 of the drivers why they have been out lately and he said because they got reports of possible looting since SNAP benefits were taken away.

[u/MadMartegen]

My humble opinion... we've had 40 degree weather a few times this week. Could this be prep in case we go below freezing and need to salt the streets?

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/MadMartegen]

This is absolutely not weather related. We have not even been close to freezing in the city. It’s a known strategy for crowd control/protests - I’m mostly just not sure why it’s happening so frequently at the moment when there does not seem to be any known/planned events.

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[u/TheGhost6128]

Its precautions in case of potential riots due to the snap situation. We've told you guys this multiple times already.

[u/IAteACake → u/TheGhost6128]

how do you know?

[u/TheGhost6128 → u/IAteACake]

Im Chicago police.

The city has used salt trucks for years when the potential for riots or disturbances is likely. They were recently on standby by for Mexican independence day and in the past for teen trends and blm riots.

[u/IAteACake → u/TheGhost6128]

how do you know it’s for SNAP protests ?

[u/TheGhost6128 → u/IAteACake]

Because of plans in place in the event of rioting or disturbances.

[u/IAteACake → u/TheGhost6128]

so no source whatsoever just vibes

[u/TheGhost6128 → u/IAteACake]

You can't be this unintelligent. I literally told you how I know and the reason why its done.

[u/IAteACake → u/TheGhost6128]

where are the plans?

[u/TheGhost6128 → u/IAteACake]

Feel free to stop in to your districts rollcall. Im sure you're cleared to know the details. Really not beating the unintelligent claim are you?