In 2016, Chicago experienced an unprecedented spike in gun violence. From 2015 to 2016, Chicago saw a shocking increase in homicides of 56% from the previous year — 778 people were killed and more than 4,200 people were shot. The spike led to headlines about “out of control” violence and for President Donald Trump to declare that “Chicago is like a war zone.”
But very little has been written about what followed: Over the past three years, homicides in Chicago decreased by 37%. In 2019, the city experienced fewer than 500 homicides — the fewest since 2014.
[…]Forty foundations and funders — including Chicago’s professional sports teams — came together to form the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities. Since its inception, PSPC committed $75 million toward reducing gun violence in Chicago. Nine community outreach groups from different neighborhoods formed Communities Partnering for Peace — a coordinating body that meets every other week. The University of Chicago’s Crime Lab became involved in the day-to-day decision-making of the police with analysts working daily in the districts (possible because of a $10 million donation). State Attorney Kim Foxx, Chicago’s equivalent to a district attorney, shifted resources away from low-level offenses to create a new unit of prosecutors who are embedded in police districts struggling with gun violence.
This is all good stuff, but also another example of how we pour money into preventing and dealing with the after effects of gun violence, all while letting gun manufacturers flood the country with guns.
I lived in Chicago in the 80’s, and I always felt that the East Coast media (a.k.a., the media) really internalized the notion that Second City is first loser, so I’m glad to see a positive story about what sounds like a real achievement.
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
Thanks for this post, mistermax. It’s inspiring, and likely to be ignored by most big media.
Ruckus
Wasn’t Chicago the center of the moonshine BS after prohibition? The gangsters etc.
Chicago has had the rep of being gun happy for a long time and republicans will never let anyone forget anything they can use against their enemy, which of course is anyone standing in their way, truth be damned or at least ignored completely.
OzarkHillbilly
@Ruckus: Al Capone was a low taxes IGMFY Republican.
Roger Moore
Chicago is a perfect example of how we need to regulate guns at a wider scale than the city or even the state. Chicago is so close to the state line with Indiana that its strict local gun regulations are easy to flout. Anyone who wants to evade them can drive a short distance, buy a gun in a place with much laxer regulations, and come back with it. Until Indiana (and to a lesser extent Michigan) are willing to tighten their gun laws, there’s really nothing Chicago can do to reduce the supply of guns.
satby
Saying the name Chicago was always a code for urban violence, and we all know what the racists mean when they say “urban”.
Jeffro
Great point about how we usually/only deal with the after-effects in these here Yoo-Nited States, MM.
Dan Heath’s upcoming book, “Upstream”, is centered around that concept, with the main idea being that if we put more of our energy and resources into ‘upstream’ (ie preventative) actions, we’d spend a lot less on the ‘downstream’ or after-effect end. Smart nations already do this, of course. Just not us.
Roger Moore
@satby:
Talking about Chicago was also a way of getting in a dig at Obama, as if he was somehow personally responsible for what was going on their after he had moved to Washington. It was also the best example of urban violence the racists could dig up, because those other urban hellholes, New York and Los Angeles, were experiencing unprecedented drops in violent crime to the point they were much safer than the cities in Red States.
hitless
@Roger Moore: It’s galling that the influx of guns from Indiana, a documented phenomenon, is always ignored by national media when discussing how gun control “doesn’t work”.
Moreover, the homicide rate now, and even in 2016 when it spiked, is significantly lower than it was in the early 90s (currently half I believe). And Chicago isn’t anywhere close to the top in per-capita homicide rate. But Obama was from Chicago, and the message that he would turn the United States into a crime-infested hole like his home town was too delicious for the mainstream media not to amplify, didn’t matter if it was true.
natakamus
As a resident of Chicago for the last 20 years, I have to say that one of my favorite things about the city that New York (Manhattan) doesn’t have is a robust service/delivery underground road system in the downtown area, and well lit alleys for garbage and refuse. Seeing 8′ tall piles of garbage bags on street corners is something you WILL NEVER see here.
glory b
@satby: Exactly. It was@Roger Moore: Exactly! In any event, Chicago was NEVER had the highest rate of homicides, several cities, including some in red states, were always higher, Gary IN, Chester PA, Danville, VA, Salisbury NC to name a few. In 2018, Chicago wasn’t even in the top ten.
OzarkHillbilly
@glory b: Right now, STL, KC, and Springfield are all in the top 15. Misery has hit the trifecta,
Roger Moore
@hitless:
At the very least, it should be understood to be an explanation of why we have a hard time making gun control work. It’s far worse in a place like Chicago, where the closest place with lax gun laws is very close by. Somewhat surprisingly to me, though, California’s strict gun laws seem to make a difference, even though people here could go to Nevada or Arizona to buy guns with many fewer restrictions. Apparently a few hours’ drive is enough deterrent to keep a lot of people from getting guns, though it’s also possible cultural factors are at play.
Another Scott
Speaking of counting…
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/01/cryptic-rumblings-ahead-of-first-2020-patch-tuesday/
Cheers,
Scott.
Brachiator
@Roger Moore:
Yep.
satby
@hitless: @glory b: @OzarkHillbilly: The link I included in my comment goes into detail about just your points.