Staff Reports
In a stark contrast to the rosy picture painted by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, reports indicate that Chicago is grappling with serious crime issues that are hard to ignore. The governor has been seen promoting the idea that Chicago is a wonderful place to live, claiming the city doesn’t need assistance from President Trump. However, many residents might want to raise their hands and shout otherwise, because the reality is far from what Pritzker suggests.
Statistics reveal a grim legacy for Chicago under Governor Pritzker’s administration. For a staggering 13 years in a row, this city has held the unfortunate title of the highest number of murders in any U.S. city. That’s something to put on a resume if one were looking to secure a spot on the ‘most troubled cities’ list. It doesn’t stop there—Chicago boasts the highest murder rate among cities with over a million residents, outpacing not just Los Angeles but even New York City. In fact, the 2024 murder rate in Chicago was close to three times higher than Los Angeles and nearly five times that of New York. If anyone thought that was alarming, the numbers send chills down the spine: Chicago’s crime rate surpasses that of some international cities, being over double that of Islamabad and a shocking 15 times more than Delhi.
The crime wave doesn’t restrict itself to murders alone. In 2023, a mind-boggling 147,899 crimes were reported in the Windy City. But get this—the police managed to make arrests in only 16% of those cases. That means there are a lot of unanswered questions hanging over Chicago like a dark cloud. Adding to this chaos is the wisecrack of illegal firearm recoveries. Chicago has seen more illegal guns come off the streets than the combined totals of New York City and Los Angeles. Looks like the “Windy City” may have gotten a bit windier in the wrong way.
It seems that vehicle theft has also been on the rise. The number of motor vehicle thefts last year was more than double what it was in 2021, leaving many residents to wonder if they should consider riding bicycles instead. Not only that, but Chicago has found itself under scrutiny for discrepancies in its homicide data reporting, which only adds to the uncertainty of the real status of crime in the city. Are the numbers truly as bad as they sound, or is there a political game being played behind the scenes?
With such alarming statistics piling up, it might be time for Governor Pritzker to put politics aside and take action that genuinely serves the residents of Chicago. Instead of insisting that everything is just fine and dandy, perhaps a phone call to President Trump is in order, as he could provide much-needed support for law-abiding citizens struggling with rampant crime. While Pritzker may be comfortable wearing rose-colored glasses, the people of Chicago deserve to see clearly and get real help to make their city a safer place.
