Politics: 20 years later, Lyons discovers Peoria has a problem with crack houses
Seriously. Lyons told HOINews he’s sick of crack houses, so he’s filed complaints that could get six of the houses forfeited. And, boy, he’s soooo mad, he might file more.
This is classic Lyons.
First, Peoria’s neighborhood leaders have been begging Lyons to get tough, but he usually clucks his tongue and says no one else understands how to fight crime but him. But now that he’s facing a challenge from someone with experience fighting crime at the federal level, he’s going to the media — again — and talking like he’s a tough macho dude.
There is no mention in the article whether or not one of the six properties that has Lyons in such a tizzy now is the property at 2915 NE Madison, owned at the time by Raymond and Linda Huff of Peoria. It was the scene of the first murder in 2006, when the patron of this crack house stabbed and killed Jer-rell Hall. Lyons would later decline to prosecute, saying it was self defense. In fact, there were no prosecutions at all stemming from that incident, even through there were admissions that the principles were there to buy and use drugs. And a dead body.
But then, Lyons wasn’t running for re-election in 2006.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
[...] these rented homes won’t have any effect on crime? If so, then I guess his announcement of six nuisance suits is just a cynical attempt to talk tough and maybe score a few [...]