Community activists demand VIOLENCE in Chicago be treated as public health emergency

 Community activists are demanding immediate action to the violence in Chicago, which also includes treating it as a public health emergency.

The calls came amid shootings that have occurred in the Windy City throughout the Memorial Day weekend. According to reports, more than 50 people were shot at since May 26. These shootings claimed the lives of 11 and injured numerous individuals.

Included in the victims were two 2-year-old children involved in separate accidental shootings, which were caused by the children unintentionally discharging a weapon they were playing with. Thankfully, both children are expected to survive despite injuries to their forearm and hand.

Meanwhile, a May 29 shooting in Calumet Heights on Chicago’s South Side left three wounded. Among them were a 77-year old man and a 57-year-old woman who both sustained critical injuries to their back and head.  

According to data from the Chicago Police Department, there had been 73 shootings in the past week – a 36 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Overall crime rate in the Windy City has also risen by 42 percent compared to the previous year.

Many residents in Chicago feel they have no recourse aside from violence due to a perceived lack of alternatives, according to Tio Hardiman of the community group Violence Interrupters.

“The violence is all over the place in Chicago, and that goes to show you that there is no rhyme or reason,” he said. “Some people just believe that violence is the only way out for them.”

Hardiman ultimately warned: “If we do not address this epidemic of gun violence as a public health emergency or a public health issue, we may miss the opportunity to really change the landscape overall.”

Programs to curb violence in the Windy City always get blown away

According to Just The News, city officials have tried different programs in an effort curb violence. Authorities implemented a “peacekeeper” program for this purpose, but one worker involved in this program was recently arrested for robbery.

Illinois State Rep. Martin McLaughlin issued a travel advisory on May 26, ahead of Memorial Day celebrations. His advisory was mainly targeted at his constituents at the Lake, McHenry, Kane and Cook counties.

“I am advising my constituents … who value public safety to be fully aware of the issues before entering the city of Chicago,” McLaughlin wrote.

“The news related to crime coming out of Chicago each week is awful and heartbreaking. For any hardworking Illinoisan with an expectation of public safety and criminal prosecution, Chicago is no longer the place for you. Carjackings, muggings, retail theft, and assaults are all up in Chicago.”

The state lawmaker later clarified that his May 26 advisory was not a condemnation of the “great people of Chicago.” Instead, it was a call to action for leaders of the Windy City and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to bring about solutions to the incidents of violent crime plaguing Chicago.

For his part, Hardiman suggested that young people who have turned to violence should be given jobs to avoid them returning to a life of crime. He also suggested an adjustment of current law enforcement policies.

“Put it like this: Some of the policies with law enforcement need to change,” the activist said. “You can not chase anyone in the car. You can not chase people on foot. Those policies need to be reversed.”