Chicago Weekly Crime Tracker – Wirepoints
Weekly crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department: Report through 4/14/2024.
Chicago’s crime numbers must have DNC organizers sweating – Wirepoints
The Democratic National Convention is coming to Chicago in August and its organizers are likely sweating over the potential mess it might become. Not because of the pro-Palestinian protests that are likely to occur, but because of Chicago’s unabated crime. It’s a mess that Chicago Mayor Johnson and other city officials have been incapable of addressing.
Chicago criminals out on probation/parole/pretrial release continue violence in 2024 – Wirepoints
Chicagoans have a right to be concerned considering just how many stories there are of released defendants committing mayhem. Many make the news every day, but it’s hard to know just how prevalent they are among the sea of other crimes committed. That’s why we’ve compiled a short list of defendants who’ve been accused of committing violent crimes since the start of the new year.
Jail populations shrink, electronic monitoring drops and appeals opposing detention orders ‘skyrocket’: Three concerns about impact of Illinois’ no-cash bail law – Wirepoints
While it’s still too early to know if the concerns regarding the SAFE-T Act are true, there are three data points that are already a cause for concern. Jail populations are shrinking. The number of defendants on electronic monitoring are down. And appeals against detention orders have skyrocketed.
Chicago led nation in homicides for 12th year in a row in 2023, murder rate still 5 times higher than NYC’s – Wirepoints
Count on hearing repeatedly this year from Chicago’s leadership that it successfully brought down the city’s murder total by 13% in 2023. Chicago finished the year with 617 homicides, down from 709 in 2022. What you’re unlikely to hear are five additional facts that would temper any optimism gained from that first fact.
Gov. Pritzker’s dishonest spin on Chicago crime, Illinois jobs – Wirepoints
Gov. Pritzker’s latest campaign pitch was full of statistics and anecdotes designed to make his performance as governor look far better than it really is. The problem is Pritzker’s rhetoric doesn’t match the facts – especially on employment and crime.
Criminals robbing with impunity: Time to care about who replaces Cook County prosecutor Kim Foxx – Wirepoints
If you need a nudge to care about next year’s Cook County State’s Attorney race to replace retiring Kim Foxx, consider the robbery spree that occurred on Thanksgiving Day. The reasons for the current crime spike are many, but much of the blame resides with the failure to prosecute criminals, making next year’s race to replace Foxx the most consequential of the year.
2023 Chicago crime to hit post-covid record, up nearly 60 percent over 2019 – Wirepoints
Where Chicago crime heads next year is still tough to guess. Has Chicago’s “crime wave” hit a peak and begun to flatten or trend down, as murders appear to be doing? Or will Chicago’s decarcerationist trend – supported by the end of cash bail and Mayor Johnson’s soft-on-crime policies – embolden criminals to do more?
Chicago: Where violence and dismal education intersect – Wirepoints
There’s a good reason why Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis-Gates is sending her son to a private school instead of the public one in her neighborhood. Roseland is one of the 20 worst communities in Chicago where violence and a dismal education intersect, creating a toxic environment for families.
Distorting the crime stats during Congressman Jordan’s Chicago visit – Wirepoints
Congressman Jim Jordan’s visit to Chicago did more than expose the depth of the city’s crime crisis and how badly police have been handcuffed in their job to protect Chicagoans. It also exposed the willingness of city officials to distort the truth in the face of political pressure, and the ease with which some in the media will accept those distortions.
Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, Grocery Mogul – Wirepoints cited in the Wall Street Journal*
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board cited Wirepoints’ Chicago crime data in their piece criticizing Mayor Johnson’s idea to open government-run grocery stores on the South and West sides of Chicago.
Illinois, Chicago set to become more dangerous as cash bail ends – Wirepoints
Illinois’ new “no-cash bail” provision – the most extreme cash bail abolition in the country – goes into effect September 18, continuing Illinois leaders’ long-running move to decriminalize and decarcerate the criminal justice system.
225,000 priority 911 calls in Chicago go unanswered so far in 2023 – Wirepoints
Chicago has experienced 225,000 urgent 911 calls with no police available so far this year. Victims of robbery, sexual assault, battery, stabbings and shootings will continue to wait hours for police to help them because of the failed policies of Chicago’s leadership.
Chicago criminals have green light to rob, loot, burgle as odds of punishment collapse to near zero. – Wirepoints
The decision to commit a crime in Chicago has never been easier. The math is pretty straightforward. A demoralized, restricted police force. Plus a 1 in 20 arrest rate. Plus a high rate of unreported crime. Plus a dismal 911 response rate. Plus a city leadership that’s soft on crime. All that equals a near-zero chance of criminals ever getting punished.
204 Chicago homicides in Mayor Johnson’s first 100 days – including four teenagers killed last weekend – Wirepoints
It would be naïve to think that a progressive Chicago mayor could actually reduce the city’s crime numbers during his first 100 days in office. Unfortunately, Johnson has refused to even try. Crime numbers show a total of 204 murders in his first 100 days – far more than the mayor’s two immediate predecessors.
Chicago Democratic alderman challenges ‘far-left extremism that’s taking over city politics’ – Wirepoints
Finally, a Chicago Democratic alderman that‘s willing to talk in a direct, no-nonsense way about the city’s major problems, notably crime, education and the city’s increasing embrace of Socialism. Ald. Ray Lopez doesn’t shy away from the violence and education metrics that plague most parts of the city.
Spree of robberies, car thefts drive Chicago crime to new highs – Wirepoints
Chicago’s crime wave is still on the move nearly two-thirds of the way through 2023. The number of total major crimes committed in the city through July is 34 percent higher than the same period in 2022, which in turn was 33 percent higher than in 2021, according to the city’s crime data portal.
What We Lose to Shoplifting – Wirepoints in The New York Times
New York Times columnist Pamela Paul cited Wirepoints’ Chicago crime data in an article describing the price Americans pay for the growing scourge of shoplifting. Paul used Wirepoints’ data on Chicago crime to point out that arrest rates for shoplifting are falling.
Not ‘mob action…they are not baby Al Capones’ says Chicago Mayor Johnson about latest youth violence – Wirepoints
The latest mayhem in Chicago saw hundreds of youth loot a 7-Eleven in the city’s South Loop. Mayor Johnson handled the event just as he’s done in the past – by justifying youth violence.
Red states, blue cities: Who’s to blame for America’s homicide crisis – Wirepoints Special Report
There’s a debate raging over who’s responsible for the surge in homicides and violent crime across the country, with some politicians and media blaming “red state” policies. But the problem with homicides is that it’s not a red vs. blue state debate, but rather a red vs. blue city one. And when you look at America’s homicide hotspots, the vast majority are run by blue leadership and have
Chicago murders: Good news, bad news – Wirepoints
If you’re looking for some good news about Chicago crime, here’s some. Murders this year through June 25 are down 7 percent compared to the same period in 2022. Chicago Police Compstat has reported 287 murders so far this year, while the comparable number last year was 310.