Final toll in Chicago for 2015:
499 homicides, narrowly missing that 500 mark. We have no doubt Rahm breathed a sigh of relief as 499 sounds like a lot less than 500.
2995 people were shot.
Is that because there’s a lot of guns in Chicago? Hardly.
There aren’t a lot of legally-owned guns in Chicago because of Chicago’s long-history of strict gun control. Some of this has changed following the passage of the Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act, but by and large there are precious few gun owners per capita in Cook County.
Contrast that with Florida, where over 8% of the population are licensed to carry guns in public. At the same time, Florida has the lowest recorded level of firearms violent crime in that state’s history. They also have 10-20-Life sentencing enhancements for possessing / using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. Illinois also has firearm-related sentencing enhancements, but they are often plea-bargained away or left underutilized by prosecutors. Florida’s enhancements are not negotiable in plea negotiations, and there’s no early releases or probation.
In Chicago, when cops catch a trio of violent teens doing a drive-by, they get charged with a class 4 felony, which is one to three in prison upon conviction. It’s this catch and release style of prosecution that is the single-largest reason for the high levels of criminal violence in Chicago.
Criminals in Crook county barely get a slap on the wrist for the felonies they perpetrate so there is no “incentive” to change their evil ways, therefore, it actually pays to be a criminal in Chiraq. But then, the prosecutors and politicians are of the criminal class as well so, …they won’t incarcerate their constituents, will they?
A lot of truth in what you say. While they were still debating the CCW law a state representative IIRC it was Mary Flowers said she wouldn’t vote for the bill. Her reason was too many people in her district would never be able to get a license because they were felons. Jim.
Don’t let the number 499 fool you. The homicide rate was much higher than 500, but the upper ranks like to classify things as Death Investigations instead of homicides. For example, and these are actual examples, a woman is found tied to a chair in an abandoned house, advanced stages of decomposition so difficult to determine cause of death. So Chicago rules it a death investigation. Another, a drug dealer found tied up in the trunk of a car that was set on fire, if you guessed death investigation you win! It goes on and on. The other thing Chicago doesn’t want you to know about the number of people shot is that say a group of 10 get shot in one drive by or one incident, they count that as one shooting instead of 10. So in actuality, the number of people shot in Chicago is closer to 4500, but that is a conservative estimate. I really can’t wait to leave this god forsaken toilet of a city. Be safe and be aware of your surroundings at all times, the gift of Chicago thugs is a gift that keeps on giving.
Not to worry, 44 shootings last weekend. Yes 4day weekend. Only 11per day hmm 4026 for 2016.