Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world. It is a mecca for music and food. Architecturally it is one of America's crowning jewels. I've never once felt unsafe on any of my visits. Not walking or using the mass transit systems.
I hope to be returning this year for some ball games. I love Chicago.
What large cities are run by Republicans and what is their crime rate I wonder?
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Keep wondering until you learn to source factual data.
To date, you have not.One of the first things people think when asked about Chicago is political corruption.
The next is gangs, shootings and murder.Chicago has been run exclusively by democrats for over 80 years.
Hate to tell you but goes for pretty much every major American city. Some would say the entire country sadly. Republicans sell guns that are used and then you blame the Democrats for not controlling it. That's funny.
Bloods and Crips are Republicans so vote for them and all crime will stop. Sure that's going to happen.
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“Republicans sell guns that are used”
“Bloods and Crips are Republicans”
I’ve seen some pretty stupid posts here in the WP but this one ranks right up at the top.
Outright lies.
But it does conform to the liberal’s standard. First, lie. Second, blame Republicans. Third, never take responsibility for your own failures.
Just another f*cking coward who cannot debate an issue on its merits while hiding in its “safe zone”.
Sometimes I feel guilty. Seems like picking on the mentally challenged. But then I just laugh at him.
Looks like there will be no snow here for Christmas. It's that damn Obama's fault again! Last week, he forgot to ensure my gas tank was full and then I ignored the low gas warning.
We ain't getting snow here for Xmas. Gotta be Obama's fault. 😉
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
One of the first things people think when asked about Chicago is political corruption.
The next is gangs, shootings and murder.The first thing I think about when thinking of Chicago is Old Style. The next is Italian Beef, and then the Cubbies.
When I lived in Meeechigan, they discontinued Old Style in the Detroit area. And I loved it. So I had to go to the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin or Chicago. So when I came to Chicago I would load up my Jeep with three or four cases of it.
It was good for a year or so. 
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
One of the first things people think when asked about Chicago is political corruption.
The next is gangs, shootings and murder.The first thing I think about when thinking of Chicago is Old Style. The next is Italian Beef, and then the Cubbies.
When I lived in Meeechigan, they discontinued Old Style in the Detroit area. And I loved it. So I had to go to the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin or Chicago. So when I came to Chicago I would load up my Jeep with three or four cases of it.
It was good for a year or so.
LOL, I used to do the same thing with Schmidt's when I would go to Philadelphia. When I lived in MI you couldn't buy Old Style in stores but I found a couple bars in Ann Arbor that served it.
Lee, I still treasure the Tigers memorabilia you sent me a few years ago. It's on display in my home office. Thanks!
We ain't getting snow here for Xmas. Gotta be Obama's fault.
That surprises you? Snow is white dude. You know Obama gotta be hating anything white.
Unless, of course, he decisively earns it like he did with the White House in two elections. 
Baltimore murder rate 5th highest in the country. Higher than Chicago.
Maryland has the 9th highest violent crime rate in the country.
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/10/04/the-most-dangerous-states-in-america/
While Maryland has the ninth-highest violent crime rate in the country, it also has the third-lowest poverty rate, the highest median income and one of the highest proportions of adults with a college degree. The reason for this discrepancy is likely the concentration of high crime in Baltimore. The Baltimore metropolitan area also had the ninth highest violent crime rate in the country last year and accounted for nearly a third of all the incidents in the state that year.
And Baltimore passed its 2014 murder total in August this year.
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/baltimore-surpasses-homicide-total-from-2014/34822186
But let's focus on Chicago.
😛
Did you know that La Shawn Ford, who is a Democrat State Representative-from Chicago-introduced legislation to allow the Chicago voters to depose Emanuel? He did that on December 9th,
www.cnn.com/2015/12/10/politics/rahm-emanuel-recall-bill-protests/
I kinda like the picture of "Rahm's moving boxes"
Did you know that La Shawn Ford, who is a Democrat State Representative-from Chicago-introduced legislation to allow the Chicago voters to depose Emanuel? He did that on December 9th,
www.cnn.com/2015/12/10/politics/rahm-emanuel-recall-bill-protests/I kinda like the picture of "Rahm's moving boxes"
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When Obama’s “senior advisor on race relations” Sharpton call for his resignation and the liberal media turns on him, Emanuel has a problem.
In Chicago, distrust toward mayor has turned ‘personal’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/in-chicago-distrust-toward-mayor-has-turned-personal/2016/01/02/4881c8e6-aff9-11e5-9ab0-884d1cc4b33e_story.html
Illinois considers allowing recall vote of Chicago mayor
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/illinois-considers-allowing-recall-vote-of-chicago-mayor-rahm-emanuel/
Protesters gather outside Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home, call for him to resign
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-rahm-emanuel-protests-1230-20151229-story.html
Rev. Al Sharpton calls for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign; Emanuel set to return from Cuba vacation with family
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/al-sharpton-calls-chicago-mayor-rahm-emanuel-resign-article-1.2478768
Not gonna happen........
Chicago homicides climbed dramatically in January, police say
Published February 01, 2016 - Associated Press
Tensions high in Chicago following police shooting
CHICAGO – Chicago saw a dramatic spike in the number of homicides and shootings in January — the bloodiest start to a year in at least 16 years and a blow to a police force struggling to regain public trust following the release of a video of a white officer fatally shooting a black teen.
In a news release Monday, Chicago police reported that 51 homicides were committed in the city last month, compared with 29 in January 2015. The number of shooting incidents more than doubled, from 119 last January to 242 this January. The number of shooting victims increased from 136 to 292.
"We can't put our finger on" specific reasons for the increase, the city's interim police superintendent, John Escalante said. But he noted the increase coincides with an equally dramatic decrease in the number of street stops made in January. He said a policy change that went into effect in this year requires officers to fill out lengthier forms than the brief "contact cards" they used through 2015 and that officers are going through training now to help them deal with the new forms.
Escalante also said officers have expressed concerns "about being the next viral video. Even when they're doing something right, they're concerned that their actions will be questioned and they will be the one that goes viral."
Chicago has become a national symbol of gun violence since at least 2012, when the number of homicides climbed past the 500 mark, far higher than any other U.S. city. With police initiating a number of crime-fighting measures and spending millions of dollars on overtime, the city saw the total fall closer to 400 in each of the next two years, and 2014 ended with the fewest homicides in decades. But last year the number of homicides and shooting incidents rose again.
There has been a growing concern that the rising number of shootings and homicides in Chicago, and around the country, can be linked to less aggressive policing following high-profile officer shootings, some of which were caught on camera and inflamed public outrage.
In October, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said officers are going "fetal," pulling back and second-guessing themselves for fear that scrutiny of their actions would get them into trouble.
Then in late November, the city dealt with one of the biggest crises in Chicago Police Department history — and of Emanuel's political career— sparked by the release of a video showing a white officer shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with murder in the shooting, police Superintendent Garry McCarthy was fired and the U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation.
Escalante said he does not believe the McDonald video has made officers reluctant to do their jobs, point out that the department didn't have a significant drop in the number of street stops in December.
Mule, you can rant about Chicago all that you want to, but you should look closer to home. You know, Baltimore, in your state. They are 13th in murder rate per capita. Chicago didn't make the top 30, although some of its suburbs did.
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/top-lists/highest-murder-rate-cities/
Rank City
30 Chicago Heights, IL
29 Baton Rouge, LA
28 Buffalo, NY
27 Hattiesburg, MS
26 East Chicago, IN
25 Birmingham, AL
24 Desert Hot Springs, CA
23 Compton, CA
22 Myrtle Beach, SC
21 Fort Pierce, FL
20 Harvey, IL
19 Bridgeton, NJ
18 Flint, MI
17 Rocky Mount, NC
16 Pine Bluff, AR
15 Petersburg, VA
14 Newark, NJ
13 Baltimore, MD
12 Harrisburg, PA
11 Jackson, MS
10 Wilmington, DE
9 Trenton, NJ
8 Riviera Beach, FL
7 New Orleans, LA
6 Camden, NJ
5 Detroit, MI
4 Gary, IN
3 St. Louis, MO
2 Chester, PA
1 East St. Louis, IL
2014 results
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/top-lists/highest-murder-rate-cities2014/
Rank City
30 Atlanta, GA
29 Richmond, VA
28 Memphis, TN
27 Montgomery, AL
26 Cleveland, OH
25 Compton, CA
24 Philadelphia, PA
23 San Bernardino, CA
22 Miami Gardens, FL
21 Macon, GA
20 Kansas City, MO
19 Little Rock, AR
18 Stockton, CA
17 Trenton, NJ
16 Baton Rouge, LA
15 Birmingham, AL
14 Oakland, CA
13 Youngstown, OH
12 Newark, NJ
11 Baltimore, MD
10 St. Louis, MO
9 Jackson, MS
8 Wilmington, DE
7 Fort Myers, FL
6 Gary, IN
5 Saginaw, MI
4 New Orleans, LA
3 Detroit, MI
2 Flint, MI
1 Camden, NJ
Once again, Baltimore is on the list, but not Chicago.
The 100 most gangerous cities in the US.
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/neighborhoods/crime-rates/top100dangerous/
Rank City
100 Beaumont, TX
99 Elizabeth, NJ
98 Cincinnati, OH
97 Orlando, FL
96 Bridgeport, CT
95 Panama City, FL
94 Reading, PA
93 Goldsboro, NC
92 Lima, OH
91 Lawton, OK
90 Balch Springs, TX
89 Albuquerque, NM
88 Baton Rouge, LA
87 Gary, IN
86 North Miami, FL
85 Salisbury, MD
84 Battle Creek, MI
83 Poughkeepsie, NY
82 Tallahassee, FL
81 Waterloo, IA
80 Odessa, TX
79 Jackson, MI
78 Rocky Mount, NC
77 Anderson, SC
76 Jackson, MS
75 Holyoke, MA
74 Spartanburg, SC
73 Worcester, MA
72 Miami Beach, FL
71 Chattanooga, TN
70 New Orleans, LA
69 Gadsden, AL
68 Houston, TX
67 Minneapolis, MN
66 Canton, OH
65 Philadelphia, PA
64 Bridgeton, NJ
63 Miami, FL
62 Brockton, MA
61 Albany, GA
60 New Haven, CT
59 Springfield, IL
58 Fort Pierce, FL
57 Danville, IL
56 Springfield, MA
55 Jackson, TN
54 Fort Myers, FL
53 Hartford, CT
52 Lawrence, MA
51 Newark, NJ
50 Lansing, MI
49 Trenton, NJ
48 Harrisburg, PA
47 Lake Worth, FL
46 Chelsea, MA
45 Nashville, TN
44 Compton, CA
43 Fall River, MA
42 San Bernardino, CA
41 Springfield, MO
40 Riviera Beach, FL
39 Kalamazoo, MI
38 Niagara Falls, NY
37 Weslaco, TX
36 Buffalo, NY
35 Washington, DC
34 Kansas City, MO
33 Charleston, WV
32 New Bedford, MA
31 Rockford, IL
30 Pine Bluff, AR
29 Indianapolis, IN
28 Daytona Beach, FL
27 Elkhart, IN
26 Atlanta, GA
25 Harvey, IL
24 Homestead, FL
23 Cleveland, OH
22 East Point, GA
21 Atlantic City, NJ
20 Stockton, CA
19 Baltimore, MD
18 Little Rock, AR
17 Myrtle Beach, SC
16 West Memphis, AR
15 Milwaukee, WI
14 Newburgh, NY
13 Chester, PA
12 Birmingham, AL
11 Ardmore, OK
10 St. Louis, MO
9 Oakland, CA
8 Saginaw, MI
7 Flint, MI
6 Memphis, TN
5 Wilmington, DE
4 Alexandria, LA
3 Detroit, MI
2 Camden, NJ
1 East St. Louis, IL
Once again, we have Baltimore and not Chicago.
Now, attack the source, Clueless Joe.
Baltimore and Chicago are both run by democrats and in both cities black people continue to be slaughtered; almost exclusively by other black people.
Where these cities rank on some list isn't much comfort to the families of the dead.
The democrats in charge of those cities are doing nothing to stop the carnage.
The failure to protect the citizens in these cities lies purely with the democrats.
The failure to protect the citizens in these cities lies purely with the democrats
It's the UNITED States Mule. Every member of every community should be working to stop violence in their own home town. These murders are tragic. Sitting on one's ass and pointing fingers is tragic as well.
The failure to protect the citizens in these cities lies purely with the democrats
It's the UNITED States Mule. Every member of every community should be working to stop violence in their own home town. These murders are tragic. Sitting on one's ass and pointing fingers is tragic as well.
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You live in a dream state.
The elected officials of these cities are charged with the responsibility of protecting their citizens and enforcing the laws.
Responsibilities that the democrats have failed to meet and their citizens are paying the ultimate price.
The failure to protect the citizens in these cities lies purely with the democrats
It's the UNITED States Mule. Every member of every community should be working to stop violence in their own home town. These murders are tragic. Sitting on one's ass and pointing fingers is tragic as well.
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You live in a dream state.
The elected officials of these cities are charged with the responsibility of protecting their citizens and enforcing the laws.
Responsibilities that the democrats have failed to meet and their citizens are paying the ultimate price.
Actually, no. Protecting the people of a city is the job of the police, Mr. Executive.
The failure to protect the citizens in these cities lies purely with the democrats
It's the UNITED States Mule. Every member of every community should be working to stop violence in their own home town. These murders are tragic. Sitting on one's ass and pointing fingers is tragic as well.
__________________________________________________________________________
You live in a dream state.
The elected officials of these cities are charged with the responsibility of protecting their citizens and enforcing the laws.
Responsibilities that the democrats have failed to meet and their citizens are paying the ultimate price.Actually, no. Protecting the people of a city is the job of the police, Mr. Executive.
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The police department works for the mayor dumba$$.
In those cities run by democrats those mayors are far more interested in putting handcuffs on their police officers and send them to "sensitivity training".
Well he did cut short his family vacation in December due to two more police shootings in Chicago.
Took him a while to get back from Cuba though.
The failure to protect the citizens in these cities lies purely with the democrats
It's the UNITED States Mule. Every member of every community should be working to stop violence in their own home town. These murders are tragic. Sitting on one's ass and pointing fingers is tragic as well.
__________________________________________________________________________
You live in a dream state.
The elected officials of these cities are charged with the responsibility of protecting their citizens and enforcing the laws.
Responsibilities that the democrats have failed to meet and their citizens are paying the ultimate price.Actually, no. Protecting the people of a city is the job of the police, Mr. Executive.
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The police department works for the mayor dumba$$.
In those cities run by democrats those mayors are far more interested in putting handcuffs on their police officers and send them to "sensitivity training".
Does the mayor micro manage the job? No. The mayor has nothing to do with the crime rate. To think that is the case is completely stupid, even for you. Economic conditions, unemployment, lack of upward mobility, these are things that cause crime rates to rise, not the mayor, Mr. Executive.
Well he did cut short his family vacation in December due to two more police shootings in Chicago.
Took him a while to get back from Cuba though.
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The State of Illinois is listening to its citizens and Rahm Emanuel has a serious problem. His vacation in Cuba didn’t help his image either.
Illinois considers allowing recall attempts of Chicago mayor
Like I said last time you posted this, not gonna happen...............
Street cops say 'ACLU effect' drives spike in gun violence
Like I said last time you posted this, not gonna happen...............
At this point in time, I don't think it would make much difference. Since laws in the US cannot be used ex post facto the recall legislation couldn't be used for past problems.
The matter now is that Emanuel, and probably everybody closely associated with him will become non-entities in future elections. They will be probably not be re-elected or elected to any position.
It would not be beyond belief that a law and order Republican could be elected to be the next Chicago mayor, and he could have a few Republican council members too.
There is now just too much animosity toward him and his group.
Like I said last time you posted this, not gonna happen...............
At this point in time, I don't think it would make much difference. Since laws in the US cannot be used ex post facto the recall legislation couldn't be used for past problems.
The matter now is that Emanuel, and probably everybody closely associated with him will become non-entities in future elections. They will be probably not be re-elected or elected to any position.
It would not be beyond belief that a law and order Republican could be elected to be the next Chicago mayor, and he could have a few Republican council members too.There is now just too much animosity toward him and his group.
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Yup.
Rahm was forced into a run-off election the last time against a no-name candidate even with Obama flying in for fund raisers and speeches.
The Chicago Crime Machine will never allow a law and order anybody be elected mayor.
This has been going on for how many decades?
Then how do you explain that Anita Alvarez, the States Attorney that is on the hot seat more than Rahm, is polling ahead of all her opponents? Not saying she will win, but right now she is ahead.....
[Edited on 2/4/2016 by Sang]
Ah yes, the corrupt Anita Alvarez.
The only thing she has going for her is the Chicago Criminal Operation.
Alvarez Q&A: We didn't sweep anything aside in McDonald case
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160203/news/160209634/
Alvarez Defends Handling Of Laquan McDonald Case
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/02/04/alvarez-defends-handling-of-laquan-mcdonald-case/
Alvarez: 'I don't believe any mistakes were made' on McDonald case
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-cook-county-states-attorney-race-met-0205-20160204-story.html
Wow! Look at all those protesters! Must be 15 or 16 protesters! Rahm should resign right now!
Chicago homicides, shootings double over same period in 2015, officials say
Published March 01, 2016 - Associated Press
Tensions high in Chicago following police shooting
CHICAGO – Homicides and shootings have doubled in Chicago so far this year compared with the same period in 2015, and police have seized fewer illegal guns — more possible signals that officers have become less aggressive in the aftermath of a shooting video released last fall.
Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante said Tuesday that he was so concerned about officers possibly holding back that he filmed a video for the entire department in which he encouraged them to do their jobs and assured them that a federal probe of the force was not aimed at individuals.
"We are aware that there is a concern among the rank and file about not wanting to be the next YouTube video that goes viral," Escalante said in the video before introducing a segment of his own to remind viewers "why we took this job and swore this oath of office."
The statistics come almost exactly three months after the city, on the orders of a judge, released the video of Jason Van Dyke, a white officer, firing 16 shots at Laquan McDonald, a black teen killed in 2014. Since that day, Van Dyke has been charged with murder, and Superintendent Garry McCarthy has been fired. The Department of Justice launched a civil rights probe of the police force, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel has sought to regain public trust in the department and his own leadership.
The crime figures offer a stark reminder that the nation's third-largest city is nowhere near shedding its reputation for frequent street violence. The vast majority of the bloodshed is happening in neighborhoods on the south and west sides, away from the Loop business district.
In the first two months of the year, authorities recorded 95 homicides, compared with 48 for the same period last year. Thus far, there have been 406 shootings, or more than twice as many as the 180 reported in the same two-month period in 2015.
The McDonald case raised concerns that officers, fearful of attracting negative attention, may be pulling back and becoming more passive. Quietly, officers say they are not going to take chances that might land them in legal trouble or threaten their jobs and pensions.
"I'm hearing that police are standing down because they're afraid what might happen to them, that when they get a call, they wait to see if someone answers it first," said the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a prominent Roman Catholic priest and activist on the South Side. "I get really angry about that. If they are not going to do police work, they need to get out."
Evidence of a pullback starts with an 80 percent decrease in the number of street stops that the officers have made since the first of the year. Escalante said he believes that decrease is largely tied to the fact that since the first of the year, officers have been required to fill out far lengthier forms than the brief "contact cards" they used to use.
The new forms were the result of changes in state law and an agreement between the department and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois that required Chicago police to more thoroughly document and monitor street stops.
Escalante said he hopes the newer and simpler forms the officers started filling out on Tuesday will help bring those numbers back up.
Officers' unwillingness to make as many stops as they once did might also explain the steep decline in gun seizures. Normally, the number of illegal guns recovered by police would climb with the number of homicides and shooting incidents, but the opposite has happened. So far this year, the total number of illegal guns seized by the department has fallen from 955 in the first two months of last year to 829 so far this year.
The decrease is particularly striking after the way McCarthy used to put seized weapons on display at news conferences. The displays were meant to show that his department was taking more guns off the streets than any other police force in the nation and to urge lawmakers to enact tougher gun laws.
The president of the union representing Chicago police officers did not respond Tuesday to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Escalante, who has not put guns on display as often, said he has not deemphasized gun seizures. He pointed to encouraging recent signs that include a 33 percent increase in gun arrests in the last four weeks and a 20 percent increase in the number of street stops officers have made in the last two weeks.
He said he is optimistic that the street-stop numbers will continue to climb with the new shorter form that replaces the two-page investigatory stop form officers have been filling out since Jan. 1. And he said he is hopeful that certain changes, including the deployment of 100 newly trained sergeants to increase supervision, will ease the crime numbers.
"I believe they (officers) are starting to make the effort again," he said, "to try to do what they can to bring this violence down."
Chicago on track for deadliest year in nearly 2 decades
By Matt Finn - Published March 02, 2016 - FoxNews.com
Chicago police display some of the thousands of illegal firearms they confiscated during the year in their battle against gun violence in Chicago. At a news conference Tuesday, March 1, 2016, Chicago police said there have been about twice as many homicides and shootings so far this year in Chicago as compared to the same period in 2015. (AP)
The city of Chicago is witnessing its deadliest start to a year in nearly two decades -- 102 people have been killed and 475 people were shot in the city since January 1st.
The official police homicide count sits at 97, which includes only murders as opposed to what police consider justified homicides such as self-defense. 2016 is the most violent start to a year in the city since 1997, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“The level of violence is unacceptable and CPD continues to aggressively target those responsible, especially in neighborhoods where gang activity is most active,” CPD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi wrote in an email.
Police blame some of the surge in violence on gang conflicts and retaliatory crimes, many of which officers now say begin on social media before spilling out onto the streets.
A recent study by the University of Chicago Crime Lab concludes that combining the high level of gun carrying in Chicago with impulsive behavior and drug use has also contributed to the extreme bloodshed. Last year over 7,000 guns were recovered from the streets of Chicago—more than New York and Los Angeles combined--according to police.
To complicate matters, the hubs of Chicago’s crime, the city’s west and south sides, potentially have become even more dangerous as the so-called “Ferguson Effect” is impacting how police patrol the streets. Analysts say officers are engaging less out of a fear of lawsuits or being labeled racist. Even Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in October 2015 that officers have become “fetal.”
“In Chicago, like a lot of other cities, the surfacing of videos and protests against police has had at least the short term impact on some of making them more passive than one would like,” former Chicago Tribune Managing Editor and Poynter Institute Media Correspondent, Jim Warren, tells Fox News.
Adding to the Ferguson Effect, the Chicago Police Department is also dealing with an “ACLU effect.” In an exclusive new agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union, Chicago Police officers are now required to fill out a two-page contact card after every engagement ranging from a simple ID check to an arrest.
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police says the ACLU contact cards are burdensome and officers worry the compiled statistics could somehow be misconstrued and used against them. As a result, Chicago Police reported officers engaged a staggering 80 percent less in the month of January.
“They don’t want to be the next headline,” Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President, Dean Angelo, told Fox News. “It’s the amount of the above and beyond type of activity that officers were engaged in that we may not see at that same level ever again.”
The ACLU, however, denies its contact cards have anything to do with Chicago’s violence and tells Fox News since March 1st officers are filling out a more streamlined report with changes made based on police feedback.
In response to the skyrocketing crime CPD has formed a Gun Violence Task Force, teaming up with the Cook County Sherriff’s office and other local and federal agencies including Homeland Security.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says he hopes the committee can implement some type of small emergency changes without legislation, commenting that he gets “hives” when he hears about another task force.
“If we can generate four, five, 10 small things to help our communities we will have accomplished something,” Dart said.
One of the challenges the task force faces is identifying who the big gun brokers are that deliver firearms in large quantities to the city’s streets. The University of Chicago Crime Lab findings indicate most gun offenders aren’t participators in the illegal gun market and many gun offenders admit to police they buy guns simply to protect themselves against everyone else who already carries a weapon.
Another common complaint heard in Chicago is that its judicial system is soft, especially in comparison to a city like New York where people reportedly drop their weapon and run from police. Dart says the task force will look into a potential gap between police and the state attorney's office.
“People in New York know they’re going away if they get locked up with a gun. Here, it’s happened before and I’m back out. I make bond and I’m back out,” Angelo said. “There’s really no serious repercussion and I hope that changes.”
The uptick in violence on the streets of Chicago comes as City Hall is dealing with its own turmoil. Chicago is in the midst of months of historic protests and unrest amid strong demands for Mayor Emanuel to resign.
Emanuel, working under record low approval ratings, has faced fierce criticism about the delayed release of previous CPD videos depicting white officers shooting unarmed black teens. Critics and protestors have alleged Emanuel tried to bury the tapes to secure his re-election last year.
In November, a judge ruled Chicago Police must release a video depicting white police officer Jason Van Dyke shooting unarmed black teen Laquan McDonald to death. The video sparked outrage and the former police Superintendent Garry McCarthy was fired. Van Dyke was charged with murder but has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
In an effort to be more transparent since, Emanuel recently announced CPD videos depicting shootings will now be released within 60 to 90 days, which is also a concern to police who might feel releasing the tapes too soon could impede an investigation or exacerbate any allegations.
Angelo argues the city should be taking more input directly from police who patrol the streets.
“Everyone’s become the expert in policing although they’ve never had a weapon on their hip, they’ve never got into a squad car, they’ve never put a badge on their chest and they never went into a situation when people were running from it but they all have an opinion and they all have a reason and they all have a design on police work,” Angelo said.
Chicago police announced in early March that among some of its immediate solutions to combat crime, the interim police chief is deploying 100 newly trained sergeants, working with the Chicago Department of Buildings to expedite the demolition of abandoned buildings that can serve as a hub of gang activity, and saturating high crime areas with added police.
Police say the increased enforcement is already seeing results: since the middle of February, gun arrests are up by 43%, and for the entire month of February, arrests for murder are up by more than 40% from last year.
Muleman, what is your point with your endless articles about Chicago gang violence? Sounds like passive aggression...say what's on your mind.
