Chicago Beats New York, Los Angeles In Murders
Police Supt. Jody Weis To Take Hot City Council Hot Seat
CHICAGO (CBS) ― Chicago is the Second City in nickname and the third in population, but when it comes to murder, the city has the dubious distinction of being second to no city in America.
As CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports, the Chicago Sun-Times pointed out on Friday that Chicago has seen 426 homicides this year through Tuesday, compared with 417 in New York and 302 in Los Angeles.
At the end of 1998, Chicago made international headlines as the U.S. "murder capital" after surpassing New York's homicide totals for the first time ever. Chicago shed that dubious distinction when murders plummeted over the last decade.
There are more than 8 million people in New York, compared to slightly under 3 million in Chicago. The population of Los Angeles exceeds that of Chicago by more than 800,000.
Murder is also up, at a lower rate, in New York.
The alarming statistics were expected to come up on Friday when Police Supt. Jody Weis once again appeared before the City Council to address a crime rate that many believe has spun out of control. He appeared at a City Council budget hearing, which began at 10 a.m.
Weis, a career FBI agent, took office this year with a mandate to clean up the department in the wake of several scandals. But murders have risen, and arrests have fallen, on his watch.
Back in July, Weis addressed the media after being grilled by the Council on the subject.
"I don't mind tough questions," Weis said in July, not long after a shooting erupted on the streets of the Loop as crowds were leaving the annual Grant Park fireworks show. "The City of Chicago has the right to ask tough questions, especially when our crime is up nearly 13 percent."
Under tough questioning at a Council hearing that month, Weis suggested there was a "degree of timidness" among officers afraid of having lawsuits and citizen complaints filed against them.
At the hearing Friday, Weis may highlight what police view as a different problem: Officers have spent nearly 5,000 hours filling out inventory forms in the first nine months of 2008. "We'd rather they be on the street," said Beatrice Cuello, deputy superintendent of patrol.
Last year, the Cook County sheriff, who runs the jail, stopped inventorying arrestees' property. Under an agreement with the Police Department, cops took over the task.
"It's not our responsibility," said Steve Patterson, a spokesman for Sheriff Tom Dart. "We had an entire room filled with property.
Chicago is on pace to exceed 500 murders by the end of the year, but that number is far short of even approaching a record. In every year between 1991 and 1994, there were more than 900 homicides in the city, peaking in 1992 with 943 murders. The standing record for homicides in Chicago dates back to 1974, when there were 970 murders.
Chicago Beats New York, Los Angeles In Murders
Moderators: mpallett, bakerjw, renegade, Hush
But.... but.... but....
I thought Chicago banned handguns, and such regulation would decrease the murder rate....
I thought Chicago banned handguns, and such regulation would decrease the murder rate....
1) People often ask the U.S. what our secret defense is against terorists. We simply reply....Chuck Norris.
2) Jack Bauer does not let women on top during sex. Why? Jack Bauer never fucks up....
2) Jack Bauer does not let women on top during sex. Why? Jack Bauer never fucks up....
- BrianBerto2
- Elite Member
- Posts: 440
- Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:25 pm
- Location: Indiana
Ya isnt that funny. Its the guns fault, and since they are banned in Chicago, its the fault of every city/state around them where the devices of evil are easily available for criminals to buy and bring back into their peace loving city. Give me a frikin break! I live in NW IN about 20 miles from chicago and if I were to take my CCW there (statistically where I would need it most) I would go to jail! I hope Nobama loses and they all show their true colors and riot. Dont get me wrong, I dont want any innocent people to be injured, just the dumbasses in the croud when the teargas and rubber bullets start flying.
[quote="mudshark"]Yeah, everytime I think about a 4.0L getting sodium-whatever-the-hell they're using poured into it to destroy it forever I wanna go out and shoot every fucking polar bear in the Artic. [/quote]
"Now Stan. If you want to put that gun to good use, then use it to shoot my hookers penis off" -Some guy on American Dad
"Now Stan. If you want to put that gun to good use, then use it to shoot my hookers penis off" -Some guy on American Dad
Only if you were caught. There are plenty of people who carry concealed every day in Chicago. Most are criminals, some are not. As long as they avoid direct police scrutiny they're fine.BrianBerto2 wrote:I live in NW IN about 20 miles from chicago and if I were to take my CCW there (statistically where I would need it most) I would go to jail!
A couple of points to remember:
1. if you're getting mugged, it is most likely in a location that the attacker thinks he can get away with it and just as importantly, he thinks he make a clean exit. Chances are you can fight back and get away with it too, even if the act of self defense is illegal.
2. The city version of shoot-shovel-shutup is called shoot-scoot-shutup. It happens from time to time. Police find a dead thug with some holes in his hide, wallet intact and a mile long rap sheet. They chalk it up to him trying to mug the wrong person. I've read articles like this in both San Fran and Chicago news papers.
s--t happens.
I hate to say it, but millions of people now carry concealed for their own self defense. They have a taste for it, they like it and it has become part of their day to day life. I dont think all of them are going to give that up just because some bastard lawmaker says to do so. In such a scenario the police fall in league with part of the criminal enterprise and act as an enemy of personal freedom. Act and think accordingly.
-T
And the cops don't follow it up with everything they have? Seems like nailing someone for defending themselves - and isn't a career criminal - would be an excellent way to score brownie points with the brass and the mayor's office.Tyris wrote:Police find a dead thug with some holes in his hide, wallet intact and a mile long rap sheet. They chalk it up to him trying to mug the wrong person. I've read articles like this in both San Fran and Chicago news papers.