Quote:
Originally Posted by The Lunatic & A Therapist
What programs has Chicago implemented to reduce the murders? Did they install cameras?
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Things were bad in 2012 and that continued into 2013 through January with over 40 murders, but then things just seemed to settle down. February and March had the lowest counts since the 1950's, and the rest of the year was fairly low as well. Ended with the least amount since the 1960's.
The huge push right now is to stop all the murders before they happen, as opposed to police coming there after the fact. That and when murders happen to fan out and try to stop retalitory attacks. Of course they already did this, but they've really expanded and pushed the programs in the past 2 years or so.
They have "gang audits" that are constantly compiled and updated, trying to mark the gangs around the city and who's in them. They also started a list of the worst of the worst - those 5% of people who are responsible for 50% of the crime. They pinpoint who those people are, or even who will become those people, they talk to them, follow up on them, and then when there's an attack somewhere in the city, they devised listings, people, places, who is the most likely retalitory victim, where does that person live, where do they hang out, where did the victim hang out, who are his/her friends, where are those friends now?
They've managed to cut down quite a bit on shootings through pre-emptive movements against the gangbangers, which accounts for around 75% of the murders and shootings.
They've also created "impact zones", which are 20 high crime areas where rookie police and experienced officers can fan out on foot patrols.
The city set up programs hiring over 1,000 at-risk black youth between the ages of 14 and 16 and given them job opportunities during the summer and mentoring. Men in the program who are given a voice and a job have a rate of violent crime that's down over 50% compared to those without the program.
The state passed two new laws this past summer creating programs to entice people to come forward when they know something about a crime. The "no snitch" policy in many neighborhoods is RAMPANT in Chicago. People will refuse to say anything for fear they might be targeted next. Many times the person shot won't help the police when they know who shot them. The law requires any teacher or principal to come forward, and also set up anonymous ways for people to use social media, even twitter to pass along information about offenders in their neighborhood. It set up funding for rewards as well as helping people out of a neighorhood and to get away if they help out in convicting a violent offender and then fear for their safety.
Overall crime was down 23% over the past two years, which is great news. Murders are the top headlines, but only 0.1% of people in the city were murdered last year.....people should be much more concerned over other crimes like burglary, robbery, etc.
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