Crime in Chicago (Irving: work, low crime, suburbs)

[sskelsey]

I lived in Chicago for 20 years and It was great until people around me started to get killed by gun violence.

I moved out of Illinois in 2004 for School and I really wanna go back but the crimes are really turning me off.

I live in a great state now, but I'm a hair stylist and I have a great opportunity in illinois, I moved to Iowa City, it's a great place to live but it doesn't offer the things I want.

What would you do?

[ChicagolandRon]

If you move back choose a safer neighborhood or don't hang out with folks who are at high risk to be shot.

I'm 43, was born in Chicago, raised in the burbs and have worked in the city on and off most of my life. I don't know anyone who has been shot let alone killed.

[sskelsey]

The people that were shot are not at high risk of being shot, they were always innocent by standers. A lot of the shootings that happen in chicago, the person that got shot, had nothing to do with it.

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by sskelsey

I lived in Chicago for 20 years and It was great until people around me started to get killed by gun violence.

I moved out of Illinois in 2004 for School and I really wanna go back but the crimes are really turning me off.

I live in a great state now, but I'm a hair stylist and I have a great opportunity in illinois, I moved to Iowa City, it's a great place to live but it doesn't offer the things I want.

What would you do?

Do some research on what neighborhood appeal and meet your needs most. Of course you aren't limited to Chicago there are also some burbs that offer great things and low crime rates. As far as shootings that have accured over the pass few months; those incidents mostly happened in crime infested neighborhoods. Yes there were some innocent people who were killed, but innocent people die from drunk drivers too. You continue to drive don't you? My suggestion is to be cautions of your surroundings. Although some places are safer than others, no place is crime free.

[j33]

I've lived and worked in Chicago most of my adult life and grew up in the south suburbs and while I do know a couple of people who have been shot, both of them were, shall I say, playing with fire when it came to their behavior and the people they associated with. I have never had any problems other than my car being broken into multiple times and a couple of stolen bicycles.

There are risks wherever you live (I know someone who was mugged during the middle of the day on the gold coast and people who live in what I would consider awful neighborhoods who never had any problems whatsoever), but I'd venture to say that if you choose your neighborhood and friends wisely, your risks are minimal.

[Lookout Kid]

I don't know anyone who has been shot in Chicago, nor have I ever seen a gun in the city that wasn't carried by a cop or security guard (though I'm sure I've passed many with concealed guns). It really depends on where you live and what kind of people you surround yourself with.

[ManheimMadman]

Originally Posted by sskelsey

The people that were shot are not at high risk of being shot, they were always innocent by standers. A lot of the shootings that happen in chicago, the person that got shot, had nothing to do with it.

Isn't it the other way around? Most shootings and murders are retaliatory actions from shady characters, I thought. As it was pointed out in another thread, your chance of being shot or killed by someone you don't know in this city is pretty slim. There are far more riskier things.

[superwoman]

I have lived here for 15 years, I moved here by myself when I was 16. Yes there is a lot of crime here compared to the small town I grew up in. When I moved here I called the police department and asked where the lowest number of violent crimes occured and they told me the St. Ben's area around Irving and Damen. So that is the neighboorhood I moved into and have never had a problem in this area. Yes bikes get stolen and people don't always smile when you pass them on the sidewalk but it has been a really safe neighborhood. I love to go outside my neighborhood a lot and have found myself in some pretty sketchy areas of town, but I was treated with respect and was not victimized ever. Not all but the majority of violent crime occurs because you are either involved in something sketchy or you have put yourself in an area known to be dangerous. The whole city of Chicago is not a bad neighborhood and there are many nice places to live here. I would never consider leaving and I always have felt safe.

[sukwoo]

Originally Posted by ManheimMadman

Isn't it the other way around? Most shootings and murders are retaliatory actions from shady characters, I thought. As it was pointed out in another thread, your chance of being shot or killed by someone you don't know in this city is pretty slim. There are far more riskier things.

Statistically speaking, you're more likely to be killed by an automobile accident in DuPage county (the safest county metrowide) than you are to be killed by a random stranger in the city of Chicago. Needless to say, in Chicago you should be more worried about cars than bullets too.

[jdiddy]

I've been hit by a car twice in the past two years. (From cars 'rolling' through stop signs even as they appear to be making eye contact with you)

Absent-minded drivers will likely pose a far bigger threat to your safety than catching a bullet from thuglife.