The majority of Americans will never understand what working and living in a warzone is like. Citizens living in America’s third largest city, however, live this unenviable reality each and every day. If you think we’re exaggerating, just read the following statistics on Chicago shootings by neighborhood and you’ll understand why Chicago has earned the nickname “Chi-raq”.
A war-zone: Chicago shootings by neighborhood
North Side of Chicago
There has been a stark uptick of violence in Chicago since 2014. In fact, to be more exact, the murder rate has increased by 50% while shooting incidents have increased by 22% over the same span.
On the north side of Chicago, there are popular spots such as Wrigley Field in the summer time for the Chicago Cubs. So far in 2018, there have been 117 murders and 517 shooting incidents on the city’s north side. That’s a 56% increase in murders and 47% increase in shootings!
Central and South Chicago
In Chicago’s central district, where tourists and business people crowd the streets, there have already been 105 murders and 505 shooting incidents in 2018 alone. Since 2014, this area of Chicago has experienced a 40% increase in murders and a 44% increase in shooting incidents.
The south side of the city, home to the University of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, Chinatown and home of the Chicago White Sox, butts up to northwest border of Gary, Indiana. So far in 2018, there have been 120 murders and 469 shooting incidents on the south side of Chicago. That amounts to a 52% increase in murders since 2014!
The bottom line is that violence in Chicago is out of the control! No matter what side of Chicago you may find yourself in, violence and death is all around you.
We believe the citizens of Chicago and the police officers who confront the violence every day deserve better! That’s why the National Police Support Fund will continue to cover the different aspects of the gun violence epidemic in Chicago in the coming weeks. We will answer the following questions: What is the roots cause of Chicago’s violence? What is it like to be a police officer in one of the most violent cities in America? And what have political leaders in Chicago done, if anything, to address the carnage that is ravaging every corner of their city?
Chicago police officers are being stretched to the limit and the National Police Support Fund is determined to shed light on what is really happening in the war-zone that has become the city of Chicago.
Chicago shootings by neighborhood statistics gathered from the Chicago Police Department’s Crime Statistics webpage