Vic Mensa is handing out thousands of kicks at Anti-Bait Truck giveaway in Chicago

After an apology was issued last week acknowledging “eroded trust between law enforcement and the community” when a bait truck full of merchandise was found on Chicago’s southside, Vic Mensa hopes to restore some of what was lost by giving away thousands of shoes in an Anti-Bait Truck giveaway this weekend.

Vic Mensa’s SaveMoneySaveLife foundation plans to distribute tennis shoes to kids near the site where authorities conducted a sting by parking a “bait truck” full of shoes in hopes of catching would-be rail thieves.

Got sooo many shoes donated for the @savemoneysavelife #antibaittruck we will be giving them away on the same block in Englewood where the bait truck happened details coming soon

A post shared by VALENTINO (@vicmensa) on Aug 22, 2018 at 11:57am PDT

Norfolk Southern Railway was in cahoots with the Chicago Police Department in what they described as an effort to curb gun traffickers, except, it was following one of bloodiest weekends in Chicago where a vast of the murders are still unsolved and it was placed in one of the most economically challenged regions in Chicago.

Laundi Keepseagle, the executive director of Vic Mensa’s SaveMoneySaveLife foundation, said in a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times last week,

“We wanted to do something in response, but have a positive response. We don’t want to create conflict with the police, but we do want to take a step forward, and just showcase that acts like that aren’t acceptable in communities that we care for.”

Since the story caught wind, the entire operation received backlash, including from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. Director of the ACLU of Illinois’ police practices project Karen Sheley said in a statement: “Police in Chicago must focus on building trust and better relationships within the communities they serve, not engage in stunts like bait trucks.”

Vic Mensa originally announced the giveaway last week but announced on his Twitter today that the drive will be this upcoming Sunday, Aug 26th.

https://twitter.com/VicMensa/status/1032671272704983040

Anyone can donate a pair of shoes via this Amazon Wishlist.

Over 3,000 have already been collected, but the foundation is hoping to amass 10,000 pairs by the time of the giveaway.