According to data released by nonprofit community research company Wirepoints, mirrored by the end-of-year crime summary of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Windy City recorded a total of 617 murders in 2023.
This is over 200 murders more than Philadelphia, which ranked second with 408, and New York in third with 386. It should also be noted that Chicago only has a population of around 2.6 million compared to Philadelphia's 1.5 million and New York City's over 8.3 million.
Although Chicago witnessed a slight decrease in its murder rate per 100,000 residents, it still maintained the second-highest rate among the largest cities in the United States. This high ranking also comes despite a drop in overall homicides from 2022, when 709 murders were recorded in the city. Nationally, the homicide rate also dropped by roughly 13 percent last year.
As the New Year came, Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago announced his plans to combat the crime issue in the city.
He plans to focus on four of the most dangerous neighborhoods; create safe spaces for teenagers; and provide more mental health and trauma support. Unlike the previous approach of targeting 15 violent neighborhoods, Johnson proposes a targeted, guaranteed basic income for the troubled areas.
But some of his proposals, such as the recent call for reparations to be paid to African American residents to prevent crime and the lawsuit filed against automakers of the most frequently stolen cars, have ignited a heated debate across the country.
In an interview, Johnson blamed crimes committed by Black Americans on "unsuccessful" government policies. So, he believes reparations are necessary for those who ended up in jail due to "failed policies." The proposal suggests using $100 million already allocated for violence prevention in Chicago, with $500,000 earmarked as initial reparations fund. (Related: Chicago Mayor now blames 'guns from other states' for horrific violence.)
The announcement has drawn criticisms on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"So white people that never had slaves should pay money to Black people that never were slaves in the hopes that the Black perpetrators committing a disproportionate rate of crime, rape and murder will allegedly subside. Low IQ woke Afrocentric 'logic' is running wild in America," posted Robert Sepher, a Los Angeles-based anthropologist.
Paul Syzpula, an animator from Cold Springs, New York, also responded to a social media post about the proposal.
"Reparations are just another form of begging for money for people who don't deserve it. It's a rebrand of affirmative action. It's wrong and couldn't be more insulting to Black people – and all Americans," he argued.
David Webb, co-founder of TeaParty365 and a Black man, also criticized the proposal during a panel discussion on Fox News. Webb questioned the criteria for receiving reparations.
"By the way, who gets paid? I'm a Black man; do I get paid?" he asked. He accused the mayor of perpetuating a divisive narrative, suggesting that Johnson implied "Blacks are the problem" and arguing that financial incentives would not address the root causes of crime.
Violence.news has more stories about the chaotic situation in Chicago and other Democrat-led cities.
This video is from the Red Voice Media channel on Brighteon.com.
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