I have always had a love-hate relationship with my hometown of Chicago. It is a beautiful city, blessed with amazing beaches along the lake, a skyline that rivals any in the world, and neighborhoods that allow you to travel the world, without leaving the city limits. However, it is a deeply blue city, characterized by out-of-control crime, run by corrupt, incompetent politicians who are more concerned with their grift and next re-election than they are with their constituents.
Chicagoans were hopeful when Mayor Lori Lightfoot failed to earn a spot in the runoff election. People expected Paul Vallas, a liberal, but not a crazy person, to destroy his competitor, Brandon Johnson. But it was not to be. Johnson had a fantastic ground game that propelled him to the mayor’s office, a position he assumed on May 15, 2023.
Crime rates have exploded since his election, increasing 38% in June, the month after his inauguration. Robberies are up 17% compared to this time last year and are up 30% in the last three years, according to police data.
Per the Washington Examiner, “vehicle thefts spiked by 153%, aggravated battery is up 17%, burglary jumped by 12%, and even shootings rose 5%. A few weeks ago, carjackings got so bad the Chicago Police Department had to issue a ‘community alert urging residents to be more vigilant about their surroundings and to always be on the lookout for suspicious activity when entering or leaving vehicles.’”
“The lone exception to this pattern is murders, which went down by 5%. In raw numbers, it means there were only three fewer people killed,” the Examiner continued.
Chicago continues to see gun related violence rage out of control, despite the city and state having some of the toughest gun laws in the nation.
Forty people were shot over the weekend ending Sunday, August 20, seven fatally. The weekend before, 23 people were shot, four fatally.
Johnson campaigned calling for “health professionals, not police to respond to crisis calls.” He was the only candidate for mayor who did not back filling the city’s more than 1,500 police vacancies.
Things are so bad in my hometown of Chicago that police and politicians have stopped trying to combat crime and are now asking criminals to commit their crimes at more convenient times. They have given up, like when Homer Simpson stopped wearing pants in favor of a Muumuu.
Democratic alderwoman Maria Hadden is calling for gang members to not shoot people between the hours of 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM. The proposal — called “The People’s Ordinance” — encourages gangs to conduct their shootouts during the hours when children and innocent bystanders are less likely to be caught in the crossfire.
Perhaps we should only allow home invasions between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, when no one is home. Carjackings should be restricted to rush hour, when everyone is driving slowly, for everyone’s safety.
In his latest miserable attempt to deflect any responsibility for crime in my hometown, the mayor is now suing car makers, not for failure to meet emissions standards, not for failing to meet safety standards, but for being too easy to steal.
His office announced that the city filed a lawsuit against automakers Kia and Hyundai, alleging that they failed to include “industry standard engine immobilizers,” which resulted in a “steep rise” in crime.
So, we are blaming the automakers for crime? Are the manufacturers of locks responsible for home invasions? Using the mayor’s logic, they must be. And women must be responsible for sexual assaults, using the same thinking.
Let’s stop blaming everyone except for the criminals. Let’s empower the police to find these animals, arrest them, and keep them in jail.
Chicago deserves better. It is time for a change. I no longer want to live in a dystopian nightmare.
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and the Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.