Chicago Violence Up Over 27% and That Doesn't Include August Numbers

[jpbollma]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...306.htmlSounds like Chicago really has a mess on their hands.

[kenp]

Noticed a change a couple years ago. THis year my neice who goes to Loyola was mugged at gunpoint.

[thnk2mch]

Nine people were killed there just this past weekend.

[illwill]

More killings in Chicago than Afghanistan.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...gN8VFS64_pVpPg

[Det_ard]

It's bad enough we're losing our young college-grads to Chicago, now we're losing our young gun-toting thugs as well.

[michiganlady]

Chicago is more dangerous than Detroit because it has larger population in more highly concentrated neighborhoods. The Chicago police also only protect the downtown [[Loop) district. Meanwhile, most crimes in Detroit occur in the poorest neighborhoods.

[wolverine]

Chicago is more dangerous than Detroit because it has larger population in more highly concentrated neighborhoods. The Chicago police also only protect the downtown [[Loop) district. Meanwhile, most crimes in Detroit occur in the poorest neighborhoods.

Though I don't know the patrol numbers, I certainly believe you. The number of cops walking the street downtown is astonishing. Every city block there's two cops. On some street corners or near subway entrances, 10 cops. Alot of this has to do with busting large groups of teenagers walking downtown. Though there's still been a few cases of mob action, it wasn't nearly like it was last year.

As for the neighborhoods on the south and west side, it's a war zone. I used to ride my bike down through Englewood. Hell no, not doing that until things cool down.

There's a bit of good news though. Alot these thugs are getting busted. Remember there's cameras EVERYWHERE. You read about some mugging in the tribune with unhelpful descriptions and week later the mugshot is in the news.

The city is at a delicate tipping point where there's a growing number of rich folks and a growing number of poor. The disparities are really starting to show. Without any guidance or help for today's at risk youth, this problem is NOT going to go away, no matter how many cops Rahm puts on the street.

In my 3 years living in Chicago I've never witnessed a crime. The worst I saw was two college drunks fighting outside a bar in Wrigleyville. But I'm not ignorant to the fact that it happens. I just hope I'm not the next victim but I realize I could be in far worse places.

[wolverine]

I hope this 16 block area absolutely gets slammed with cops.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,1170380.story

I also like the idea of free rides to and from school so as long as kids maintain good attendance. If they fail to do so, their CTA cards will be de-activated with a click of a button. And like all CTA cards, they can tell exactly where students are boarding and getting off.

[Brian1979]

I have lived in Chicago for 13 years and have never witnessed a crime outside of some people being rowdy or maybe a fight here and there but that's about it. The crime in Chicago happens on the Southside mostly from the area around Cermak on down along the eastside of the Dan Ryan to the lake, then on the westside of the expressway it starts around 39th on down but Bridgeport and Canaryville which is where I live are nice neighborhoods, Fuller Park which is to the east of Canaryville to State is pretty bad, then south of 47th it gets bad real quick going down streets like Halsted, Racine, Ashland, Damen, Western, California, Kedzie, Central Park, Pulaski, Central or Cicero which is where Midway Airport is at. Englewood's exact boundries are 55th to 75th and Racine to State it's a war zone down there though and I wouldn't travel into Englewood for anything even during the day, it's one of Chicago's worst neighborhoods, along with neighborhoods like Roseland, Gresham, West Englewood, Ashburn, whatever neighborhood that is on the other side of the Dan Ryan and south of the Skyway is pretty bad I think that's Grand Crossing or something like that. Then the Westside is bad from about Ashland on west, anything south of North Avenue and west of Ashland all the way to about 95th Street is bad, there are pockets of good areas in there but not many. There are a few Southside neighborhoods that are nice like Beverly Hills, Hyde Park, Mount Greenwood, Morgan Park is ok in areas but east of 57 it gets bad.

There are parts of the Northside that are bad too, the area along the CTA red line from about Irving Park all the way to Howard has some real rough areas especially Rogers Park. There is an area that is north of Howard, I can't remember if it's in Evanston or Chicago that is pretty bad, it's called Juneway Terrence and it's very close to the Howard CTA red, purple and yellow line stop.

[Brian1979]

I hope this 16 block area absolutely gets slammed with cops.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,1170380.story

I also like the idea of free rides to and from school so as long as kids maintain good attendance. If they fail to do so, their CTA cards will be de-activated with a click of a button. And like all CTA cards, they can tell exactly where students are boarding and getting off.

Oh wow, in my post above that is the area I was talking about south of the Skyway and east of the Dan Ryan. I couldn't remember the full name of the neighborhood off the top of my head though. Also thanks for reminding me about CTA cards I need to go to Walgreens and get another 30 day card tomorrow.

[Johnnny5]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...306.htmlSounds like Chicago really has a mess on their hands.

The sad part is that even with Chicago's murder rate up nearly 27% it's still only just over half the murder rate we have had to deal with here in Detroit this year. I catch the news on WGN occasionally and this is a major story there and everyone is talking about what needs to be done. Here it seems like we mostly talk about it after the fact, as if it's just expected.

[Brian1979]

I hope Greater Grand Crossing, Englewood, Gresham, Roseland, Chatham, South Shore and Westside neighborhoods such as Garfield Park, Austin, Little Village, Humboldt and so on get massive cops.

They have the blue light cameras in certain areas of the city, I've heard they can see everything up to a mile away, if they installed some of those in some high crime areas of Detroit then Detroit would be able to police their higher crime areas effectively.

Just start with a few, use the most crime ridden neighborhoods first and then work down until crime is under control, I'm speaking for both Chicago and Detroit here but more so Detroit because Chicago already has them in place. I'm not sure the revenue Chicago makes off their red light cameras but Detroit could use some of those too, I hate them but they could be effective in Detroit.

When you go into downtown Chicago there are police everywhere, two on a corner usually and they police the area very well, I don't think this would work in a very big area of Detroit since the population isn't dense enough.

[wolverine]

^ The cameras have been used to check up on neighborhood intersections. But they provide the most utility after the fact. The cameras work best for catching criminals...and they work very well. But that doesn't mean they lower crime. Contrary to the fears of certain people that big brother is watching over them, they do an awful job picking up crime on private property. If you've ever watched a rotation sequence, the lens is always focused on public ROW and will nod up and down to avoid private property in the frame. The cameras require an override when a crime is actively reported in progress on private property, and by the time a zoomed in and focused image is obtained the criminal is usually running away from the scene.

Most of them run in auto mode, but will alert someone in the control center when they pick up on unusual activity. The police will also use them to asses the situation of an area before a dispatched patrol vehicle arrives.

The city doesn't make all that much off the red light cameras....a miniscule $30 million after you deduct the costs of running the system. It sounds like a lot, but a drop in the bucket when you look at the city budget. Furthermore it's done little to curb injuries and deaths related to red light violations....particularly because LPI sequences have been implemented that have reduced risks of an accident drastically. I believe red light cameras all fire with LPI latency accounted for, so most motorists who run that "pink" light will get a passcard.

The neighborhood I'm most intrigued by is Humboldt Park. Gentrification has been creeping into this area over the past couple years.