【1991 Archives】

Earlier this month991 Archives police officers attempted to lure Chicagoans into arrest with a "bait truck" filled with shoes and goods left abandoned in a neighborhood. After video of officers arresting a man went viral, community members expressed outrage at the set-up tactics — and Chicago's own Vic Mensa stepped up, too.

On Sunday, Mensa's foundation, "Save Money, Save Life", threw an event in the same neighborhood as the original bait truck. The organization hosted an "anti-bait truck" giveaway, handing out truck loads of shoes to members of the Englewood community.

“To see the police escort a bait truck full of shoes through a low-income neighborhood where people can’t afford basic necessities, it seemed very representative of how ill-equipped they are to deal with the city’s issues,” Mensa said in an interview with the New York Times.

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Chicago residents walked away with shoes of all sizes from Nike, Vans, Adidas, and more — all in time for the school year. Haircuts and performances were also featured at the community event. According to reports from the Chicago Tribune, donations also poured in from athletes and musicians around the world.

Responses to the anti-bait truck event poured in from around the country, with people particularly excitement over the amazing efforts Mensa and many others put forward just in order to give back to their communities.

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CARD ID: 379888

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Norfolk Southern Railway, the instigating force behind the bait truck incident, explained that the tactic was implemented because of ongoing cargo theft, and eventually apologized for the sting operation that was executed alongside Chicago police.

“We sincerely regret that our actions caused further unease, and we don’t plan to use this method in the future,” a Norfork's regional manager of community and legislative relations told the Tribune.

[H/T Chicago Tribune]