Murders In Chicago Soaring In 2016, Locals Call For State Of Emergency

Murders and shootings in Chicago are way up in the first three months of the year, following a trend of skyrocketing violence from 2015. The police department is also undergoing a shake-up after a dash-cam camera caught a white police officer shooting an African-American teen 16 times. Police say the reason for the uptick is gang violence, and locals say the reason for the gang violence is because of the lousy economy.

In the first three months of 2016, murders are up 72 percent from 2015. Shootings up 88 percent. In absolute numbers that means 141 murders so far this year, and 677 shootings. The violence is reportedly contained in several pockets in Chicago’s south and west sides.

Eighty-year-old Betty Johnson told CNN, “It has gotten much worse out here.”

Johnson has lived in Chicago’s south side for her entire life, and her 16-year-old great grandson Andre Taylor was recently gunned down just a block away from her home. She says there has always been gang violence, but the latest surge of murders is unheard of.

Interim Superintendent Eddie Johnson issued a statement, saying the Chicago Police Department remains tireless in its efforts to create a safer Chicago.

“In the coming weeks and months, I plan on meeting with and listening to a range of Chicagoans – from activists and elected officials to ministers and parents – to find ways that we can come together to build mutual trust and lasting partnerships that will make our streets safer for everyone.”

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Johnson just last week, the latest move in a series of police reforms.

In November last year, a video showing officer Jason Van Dyke shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald shook the city. In addition to riots and the arrest of the officer, there has been efforts to improve police officer training, massive information releases, and calls for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign. Emanuel also fired Superintendent Garry McCarthy; Johnson is the second interim Superintendent since McCarthy.

With the police department still reeling, people are looking for reasons for the uptick in crime. Community pastor Ira Acree told CNN, the only way to stop a bullet is with a job.”

“All of the violence is rooted in the illegal drug economy. Many guys have allowed their economic desperation to cause them to resort to these measures. The economy is terrible, especially in African-American neighborhoods.”

According to the Chicago Reporter, in 2015, roughly 10 percent of the city lived in “deep poverty” as in less than half federal poverty rate or $5,885 a year for an individual. That poverty is predominantly in black neighborhoods.

Pastor Acree says he wants to see a state of emergency declared for swaths of the city.

Local ABC 7 reports that Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin also wanted to see a state of emergency declared in February, saying “How can we defeat ISIS abroad if we can’t even defeat the gang members in our neighborhoods?”

Rahm Emanuel insists the level of violence is “unacceptable” and will work to end it.

“We have a challenge right now, specifically but not limited to, the South and West sides (of the city). We have a level of shootings and gun violence that’s unacceptable and must come to an end. It means we have to have a leadership and lead from the front and get not only our officers’ morale level up, but our violence level down.”

There are some signs the murder rate is going down. January’s year-to-year increase in murders was 75 percent, February’s was 126 percent, but March’s was only 29 percent. That’s not entire positive, considering that the murder rate in 2015 was already up 12.5 percent from the previous year. If the murder rate continues its trend, Chicago’s 2016 summer will be incredibly deadly.

[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]

Murders In Chicago Soaring In 2016, Locals Call For State Of Emergency

Murders In Chicago Soaring In 2016, Locals Call For State Of Emergency is an article from: The Inquisitr News