Chicago: Murder capital of USA

[CelticKing]

Chicago: Murder capital of USA

Chicago is the Second City in nickname and the third in population, but when it comes to murder, the city has the dubious distinction of being second to no city in America.

As CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports, the Chicago Sun-Times pointed out on Friday that Chicago has seen 426 homicides this year through Tuesday, compared with 417 in New York and 302 in Los Angeles.

At the end of 1998, Chicago made international headlines as the U.S. "murder capital" after surpassing New York's homicide totals for the first time ever. Chicago shed that dubious distinction when murders plummeted over the last decade.

There are more than 8 million people in New York, compared to slightly under 3 million in Chicago. The population of Los Angeles exceeds that of Chicago by more than 800,000.

Murder is also up, at a lower rate, in New York.

The alarming statistics were expected to come up on Friday when Police Supt. Jody Weis once again appeared before the City Council to address a crime rate that many believe has spun out of control. He appeared at a City Council budget hearing, which began at 10 a.m.

Weis, a career FBI agent, took office this year with a mandate to clean up the department in the wake of several scandals. But murders have risen, and arrests have fallen, on his watch.

Back in July, Weis addressed the media after being grilled by the Council on the subject.

"I don't mind tough questions," Weis said in July, not long after a shooting erupted on the streets of the Loop as crowds were leaving the annual Grant Park fireworks show. "The City of Chicago has the right to ask tough questions, especially when our crime is up nearly 13 percent."

Under tough questioning at a Council hearing that month, Weis suggested there was a "degree of timidness" among officers afraid of having lawsuits and citizen complaints filed against them.

At the hearing Friday, Weis may highlight what police view as a different problem: Officers have spent nearly 5,000 hours filling out inventory forms in the first nine months of 2008. "We'd rather they be on the street," said Beatrice Cuello, deputy superintendent of patrol.

Last year, the Cook County sheriff, who runs the jail, stopped inventorying arrestees' property. Under an agreement with the Police Department, cops took over the task.

"It's not our responsibility," said Steve Patterson, a spokesman for Sheriff Tom Dart. "We had an entire room filled with property.

Chicago is on pace to exceed 500 murders by the end of the year, but that number is far short of even approaching a record. In every year between 1991 and 1994, there were more than 900 homicides in the city, peaking in 1992 with 943 murders. The standing record for homicides in Chicago dates back to 1974, when there were 970 murders.

 

[Mixx]

That is not a surprise at all, here in Philly it's pretty messed up also.

 

[yinets1860]

Chicago has seen 426 homicides this year

this as if have a little terror

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

wow, thats pretty messed up. I wonder how many homicides Portland has had

 

[La Bomba]

Memphis has the highest crime rate in the US, so we rule.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Well I looked it up and it said in 2007 Portland had 30 homicides, still not cool but better than 400+

 

[DynastYWarrioR6]

Irvine has 2 murders....

 

[shookem]

Toronto is usually around the 90's.

 

[Chutney]

Can't touch Saskatoon: Canada's murder capital.

 

[M Two One]

Big increase for Chicago this year, very poor. To me this is surprising though because for the previous past seven years or so we have dropped off the top 100 list for most murders. Over a decade ago though we were number one.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Crazy shit.

 

[shookem]

Can't touch Saskatoon: Canada's murder capital.

I wouldn't wanna touch anything from Saskatoon.