In the last few hours, Chicago has recorded numerous shootings, in which three people have died and eleven have been wounded. This is, unfortunately, the trend in a city that suffers, like so many others in the country, a constant increase in crime. In this context, the police of the megalopolis has the lowest arrest rate of suspects in at least 20 years.
As reported by The Chicago Sun-Times, in 2021 the local Police made arrests in 12% of crime cases, the lowest rate since 2001. The number of arrests peaked in 2005, when arrests were made in nearly 31% of reported crimes. Since then, the figure has been declining. Police desistance seems to have a lot to do with it: "In the past, I might see a guy with a gun in his waistband, I'd jump up and chase him down. Now I wouldn't do that at all," a decorated officer has told the Chicago Sun-Times.
It's not just felony interventions that have been reduced. The number of traffic stops and tickets has also declined, and the number of investigations decreased by more than 50% between 2019 and 2021. Fewer crimes are also being reported to the Police Department, both by citizens and patrol officers. A lethal vicious cycle for the city's safety.
Black Lives Matter and crime wave
Homicides spiked in the city in 2020 after a decline in violence over the previous three years. Coinciding with the death of George Floyd and the subsequent wave of violence unleashed by the radical Black Lives Matter movement. The Windy City recorded nearly 770 homicides in 2020, up 50% from 2019. It broke a 25-year record last year by nearing 800, the Chicago Tribune reports.
As for shootings, they have also increased appreciably. From 2,151 in 2019 to more than 3,200 in 2020 and 3,561 in 2021. According to the Sun-Times, officers of various ranks detail feeling under attack after a consent decree required the city to modify police practices following a Justice Department ruling that found local police had engaged in civil rights violations.
The decrease in arrests comes after sweeping changes were made to the way Chicago police patrol the streets. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that this new policy includes restricting vehicle pursuits or ending foot pursuits if the suspect commits a misdemeanor. Police were also ordered to stop making arrests for offenses such as possession of small amounts of marijuana. It is, therefore, a police tied down in an untied city.
