The city of Chicago saw a 55 percent spike in homicides in 2020 — the second bloodiest year in nearly two decades. Only the 784 homicides in 2016 topped it. The 55 percent increase in murders over 2019 came as activists pressed to defund and disarm the police force, reduce the number of officers on patrol, and reform bail laws to put more criminals on the street.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot blames the pandemic for the spike in violence. But the feeling among Chicago citizens is that the police have lost control of the streets and criminals run free.
Indeed, the police cleared just 2 percent of major crimes.
None of these numbers come as a surprise, as the year unfolded with news reports about violence that often included the word “deadliest,” such as after Memorial Day weekend, the deadliest in five years. Then a few days later, May 31, ended with more homicides — 18 — than in any single day in memory.
Chicago was not alone. During that weekend in particular, which came after the death of George Floyd after being forcibly detained by Minneapolis police, cities across the United States witnessed spasms of violence.
The year ended in Detroit, Washington, D.C., New York, Milwaukee and other cities with more killings than the year before. The same held true in smaller cities, including Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Rockford, Illinois. Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, saw hundreds more homicides than either New York or Los Angeles.
Activists blame the police and inadequate enforcement of gun laws, as well as not enough “investment” in poor communities.
Carrying Chicago flags with bullet holes, dozens of people came together on Michigan Avenue to remember the lives lost to gun violence in 2020 and to hold local leaders accountable.
“Unfortunately, while we have been working on COVID-19, we have ignored the virus of violence in the city of Chicago, and violence continues to rise,” said Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church.
Violence is not a “virus” and comparing the atmosphere of lawlessness and lax police enforcement to disease is ludicrously misleading. In Chicago, you can get away with murder — few cases are ever solved. The lack of respect for law enforcement has led to paralysis by police, who don’t find risking their lives on a daily basis for people who hate them very appealing. There are fewer arrests for misdemeanors, fewer patrols in high-crime neighborhoods, and fewer officers. Is it any wonder some criminals feel empowered?
Many of the shootings in Chicago are gang-related and not solving them gives the gangs a sense of invulnerability. It’s not just the leadership of the Chicago Police Department. It’s also the political leadership whose timidity in the face of the barbarians and lack of support for those risking their lives discourages and disheartens the rank and file.
It’s not a simple problem. But perhaps raising up leaders with the courage and vision to identify the problem would be a good start.
hahahhaahahaaahahahaah,burn baby burn!
The primary reason for the increased murder rate in Chicago and elsewhere is due to an uncivilized and dangerous populace as well as the failure/refusal by the authorities to enforce the laws.
Not sure if we are turning into Mexico or China, but the United States is dying unless we have courage and stand against it right now!
Only blue states Sandra
Like that ditty ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’, as long as the violence remains concentrated to certain neighborhoods little or nothing changes. History has shown that people who can simply move and those remaining find a level of solace on their ‘islands’. The situation in Chiraq will be addressed once the Gold Coast starts to feel the pain.
Mexico has cops on the dole and China has cops that are invincible to the population. The only way to clean Chicago is by bringing in the military and allowing them free reign 24/7 through the troubled areas. Catch and no release of criminals. Unfortunately there’s probably no place to put them but perhaps they will find justice by death in the overcrowded prisons.
I heard there is a brand new prison (maybe five years ago) in either Wisconsin or Michigan, empty…. Lets put it to use, if true.
Where to put them? That park in a poor neighborhood that Obama is destroying to build his (un)Holy Shrine to his (un)Holy Self has plenty of dirt. That would be very fitting, as he largely created the atmosphere that has led to all of this.
This is boring. Wake me when there are at least 1,000 murders a day.
This couldn’t happen to a more deserving city.
One can rise to be anything they aspire to be. Chicago has a gay, black female mayor. But I feel sorry for her because she thought she could make a difference. Stop and search worked at one time in NY, but that’s out, too profiling. No family units anymore. BabyDaddies in the wind.
That’s way it’s called “The Windy City”
My parents escaped during the “Great Depression” to California in 1932 and NEVER went back due to the political BS.
One way to slow down the murder rate in Chicago is to choke off the supply of Revenue to the gangs. Which means stopping the flow of Narcotics and guns from cartels like the Sinaloa crime syndicate in northern Mexico. Another is new and responsible leadership in the city of Chicago.
Damn good thing they have strict “gun control”, or it might have been worse! (sarc)
Apparently no lives matter
More like light in the head. Unfortunately we can no longer call these DEMITARD Leaders Retarded, because it’s completely insulting to people that are. These Governor’s, and Mayors are simply INSANE. As always the people are the ones paying the price. Police can no longer do their jobs, or choose not to, for fear of prosecution, or death. Maybe a stray bullet will save the city, instead of taking the life of an innocent child.
I live in Chicago and I can tell you this….. Our BLM ( black lesbian mayor ) is more concerned about racial issues than she is with crime prevention! She doesn’t want to put more cops in the high crime neighborhoods because that in her mind would be racist, even though that is where the crime is! Also the cops are afraid to do their jobs because they don’t want to be fired or arrested! We truly need new leadership in this city!
As a politician you openly blame the police for YOUR failures and then YOU threaten to defund their efforts to suppress violence by castigating them as the cause, you get Chicago, L.A., Portland, Seattle, D.C., Sacramento, Minneapolis, Kennesaw, N.Y. The mayors handcuff the officers and tell them not to respond to riots, looting, burning, murder. 17 blacks were killed by law enforcement last year out of a population of 44 MILLION. 67 officers were killed out of a population of 800,000. Now, who is REALLY being disproportionately targeted!
The majority of the ChIraq murders are stupid people doing stupid things. The majority of the murderers are more of the same. Very few of the murder victims were truly innocent. So with the murder of every drug dealer and gang banger there is a little more fresh air for the rest of us to breathe. It only gets better if they catch the bad guy and he goes to jail for life then it’sTrue win/win situation.