Chicago Crime this Summer

[SoxFan1]

I don't know if any of you have been hearing about all this, but there have been an insane number of shootings in Chicago this summer. A kid was shot 22 times yesterday while riding his f***ing bike. He wasn't even in 8th grade yet.

[BearSox]

Chicago is really a lot worse of a city than most people realize.

[NorthSideSox72]

Chicago is really a lot worse of a city than most people realize.

Except that violent crime rates in Chicago are actually going down, and are lower than a lot of other cities. So despite the fact that we see this in the news every day, we're actually better off than a lot of places.

 

Crime is a major issue here, but its not as bad as most people think, if you look at the numbers. So I'd say the opposite of your post is true: see this article for a perfect illustration of this.

 

 

[whitesoxfan101]

Except that violent crime rates in Chicago are actually going down, and are lower than a lot of other cities. So despite the fact that we see this in the news every day, we're actually better off than a lot of places.

 

Crime is a major issue here, but its not as bad as most people think, if you look at the numbers. So I'd say the opposite of your post is true: see this article for a perfect illustration of this.

 

Exactly, crime is actually not nearly as bad as people think, and the rates aren't overwhelmingly high or on a major rise. It's just being more widely reported in the now 24 hour news cycle, so people think it's a lot worse. In general though, Chicago is just like any other city in that you have to be aware of where you are and when you are there. Although that's not much help for people that live in particularly affected neighborhoods.

Edited July 29, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[G&T]

I haven't lived in Chicago in a while so I can't speak of this for certain, but it seems that there are a lot of innocent victims being shot in Chicago recently. Gang violence is usually not reported on the news unless the victim was not in a gang.

[Balta1701]

Gang violence is usually not reported on the news unless the victim was not in a gang.

At least my impression is different...i've gotten the impression that they get reported a lot...as long as there is nothing else going on to report on.

[Milkman delivers]

I don't know if any of you have been hearing about all this, but there have been an insane number of shootings in Chicago this summer. A kid was shot 22 times yesterday while riding his f***ing bike. He wasn't even in 8th grade yet.

 

OK, it's definitely sad for someone of that age to suffer like that.

 

Having said that, and despite his age, you don't get shot 22 times for no reason.

[flippedoutpunk]

i cant speak for the rest of the city since this is a city filled with millions of people and hundreds of neighborhoods i mean crime is bound to happen at a pretty big level.. but i can speak for the part of logan square i live in has gotten A LOT better than in recent summers.. the gang activity has really been curbed by the constant police activity in the area and i haven't seen any shady characters hanging on the corners of the blocks for a couple years now. in past summers i could expect my vehicle to get broken into at least once per summer, at the VERY least.

[Balta1701]

Is Chicago expecting any police layoffs this year with the expiration of stimulus funds?

[Soxy]

It's been a hotter than average summer, no?

[Balta1701]

It's been a hotter than average summer, no?

Get used to it.

[whitesoxfan101]

It's been a hotter than average summer, no?

 

Yeah. Temperatures had actually been below average here quite a bit in recent times (it was very cool last summer for instance, I think there were only a couple of 90 degree days total the entire season), but it's been warmer this time around.

Edited July 29, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[NorthSideSox72]

Is Chicago expecting any police layoffs this year with the expiration of stimulus funds?

 

Last I saw, Daley said he wanted to hire more cops but couldn't due to funding, but that they weren't planning on any layoffs. More likely, they just won't be replacing retirees and people leaving.

 

 

Yeah. Temperatures had actually been below average here quite a bit in recent times (it was very cool last summer for instance, I think there were only a couple of 90 degree days total the entire season), but it's been warmer this time around.

And heat definitely tends to increase crime.

 

[The Critic]

And heat definitely tends to increase crime.

Pretty sure that was the gist of Soxy's post.

Steve Dahl used to talk about the "85 and Over Club", referring to the fact that when the temperature went to 85 or above, crime (and especially violent crime) tended to increase.

[whitesoxfan101]

Is there a psychological or sociological reason that heat tends to cause crime to increase?

Edited July 29, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[flippedoutpunk]

Is there psychological or sociological reason that heat tends to cause crime to increase?

 

who knows.. crime doesn't pay very well, so maybe certain "jobs" are needed to be done in order to take care of that fantastic electricity bill that accounts for the A/C constantly running.

[Soxy]

Is there psychological or sociological reason that heat tends to cause crime to increase?

Best guess? Aggression is linked to physical discomfort or pain. It's why a wounded animal is more dangerous than a healthy one. So, we assume that heat is an aversive stimulus that may cause an increase in aggressive behavior. I'm not aware of anything that can actually demonstrate it's a causal relationship--but it's a pretty strong hypothesis.

 

One of my favorite studies looked at the relationship between temperature and batters that were hit by a pitch. Batters were significantly more likely to get hit by a pitch when the temperature gets above 90.

[LittleHurt05]

Is there psychological or sociological reason that heat tends to cause crime to increase?

 

I think it just has to do with more people hanging out in the streets when its warm out, which leads to more skirmishes, violence, etc. Very few of the shootings are indoors or in peoples homes.

[Milkman delivers]

I don't know about any of you, but when the temperature is in the 90's and humid, my desire to stab people in the neck increases quite dramatically.

[SoxFan1]

OK, it's definitely sad for someone of that age to suffer like that.

 

Having said that, and despite his age, you don't get shot 22 times for no reason.

It was a mistaken identity, which happens all the damn time unfortunately.

[SoxFan1]

Except that violent crime rates in Chicago are actually going down, and are lower than a lot of other cities. So despite the fact that we see this in the news every day, we're actually better off than a lot of places.

 

Crime is a major issue here, but its not as bad as most people think, if you look at the numbers. So I'd say the opposite of your post is true: see this article for a perfect illustration of this.

Ugh. Go show this post to people on the west side, or the far south/southeast side, or in Pullman, or Roseland, or any of these other neighborhoods and see what happens.

[SoxFan1]

I haven't lived in Chicago in a while so I can't speak of this for certain, but it seems that there are a lot of innocent victims being shot in Chicago recently. Gang violence is usually not reported on the news unless the victim was not in a gang.

That's absolutely true and those who say otherwise are absolutely wrong. I've seen gang 1st hand that hasn't been reported on the news. And I have never, EVER heard the terms Latin Kings or GD's or anything of the sort on the news.

 

It's easy for people to say that crime isn't an issue when they've never been jumped for no reason or they've never had their garage broken in to multiple times or they've never had cops drive around their neighborhood with spotlights between houses and in yards while helicopters are flying overhead or they don't hear gunshots once a week.

[flippedoutpunk]

That's absolutely true and those who say otherwise are absolutely wrong. I've seen gang 1st hand that hasn't been reported on the news. And I have never, EVER heard the terms Latin Kings or GD's or anything of the sort on the news.

 

It's easy for people to say that crime isn't an issue when they've never been jumped for no reason or they've never had their garage broken in to multiple times or they've never had cops drive around their neighborhood with spotlights between houses and in yards while helicopters are flying overhead or they don't hear gunshots once a week.

 

sounds like u live on my side of town!

[SoxAce]

That's absolutely true and those who say otherwise are absolutely wrong. I've seen gang 1st hand that hasn't been reported on the news. And I have never, EVER heard the terms Latin Kings or GD's or anything of the sort on the news.

 

It's easy for people to say that crime isn't an issue when they've never been jumped for no reason or they've never had their garage broken in to multiple times or they've never had cops drive around their neighborhood with spotlights between houses and in yards while helicopters are flying overhead or they don't hear gunshots once a week.

 

Agreed 100% Slav, and you know damn well I've seen my share of s***. (and I'd bet millions much worse) I'll say this though.. since I'm not sure how often you go back to the hood, it is much worse in places like Hegewish or by Calumet than it is on the south east side now-a-days... though I don't live out there either cept when visiting couple times a month to crash.. only hearing it from people still living there.

Edited July 30, 2010 by J.Reedfan8

[flippedoutpunk]

Agreed 100% Slav, and you know damn well I've seen my share of s***. (and I'd bet millions much worse) I'll say this though.. since I'm not sure how often you go back to the hood, it is much worse in places like Hegewish or by Calumet than it is on the south east side now-a-days.

 

hey hey hey the hood on the northside is just as bad bro. dont want to mess with humboldt park and logan square i tell ya. i mean just to keep it fair and not make it seem like the southside is the cause of all our city's troubles