Staff Reports
Chicago’s mayor wants to address crime by investing in people, but is that really the best approach? Mayor Brandon Johnson argues that the city doesn’t need aggressive law enforcement or federal intervention. He believes the solution to crime lies in bigger budgets for affordable housing, mental health care, and education. Yet, let’s look at the facts. Chicago’s public schools have a whopping $10 billion budget, with $1.5 billion coming from Uncle Sam. That’s a hefty investment, but what results has it yielded?
It’s no secret that nearly half of the students miss more than 10% of the school year. Chronic absenteeism is a growing problem, and education officials simply shrug it off. Meanwhile, graduation rates remain puzzlingly high. So, are students in the Windy City getting a meaningful education, or just getting by? We should all be asking, what kind of investments are these, and why aren’t taxpayers seeing returns in the form of reduced crime?
The mayor’s optimism about expanding city budgets might be appealing to some, but it often feels like throwing money into a leaky bucket. Although the city claims success through community programs and social investments, this is supported by significant decreases in crime rates. Shootings and homicides across Chicago are each down more than 30% through the first half of 2025 compared to the same time last year. Total violent crime is down at least 22% thus far in 2025, with substantial reductions across various crime categories.
What safe cities across America do have in common isn’t just investment; it’s law and order. What keeps neighborhoods safe are the brave men and women in blue who walk the beat, enforce the rules, and make sure justice prevails. People should ask the mayor if he’d feel the same way if his neighborhood was experiencing spikes in crime. Does he expect residents to just bear it and wait for community programs to take effect? Or does every Chicagoan deserve an immediate sense of safety?
Chicago may benefit from a wake-up call that goes beyond bigger budgets. Cities should invest in what’s proven to work: accountability, effective policing, and strict enforcement of existing laws. The notion that throwing more money into social programs will suffice falls flat when crime remains rampant. It’s time for Chicago’s leadership to consider that there are other ways to invest in its people—starting with ensuring that laws are respected and upheld.
