More Than 60 Shot in Chicago Memorial Day Weekend Violence | NBC Chicago

Chicago police beefed up patrols for Memorial Day as more than 60 people were shot during the violent three-day holiday weekend.

 

By Monday evening, at least 62 people had been shot across the city since Friday afternoon, including six who were killed. This surpasses the number of people shot during last year's Memorial Day weekend, though Chicago Police News Affairs said murders are down 50 percent compared to last Memorial Day.

 

Source: More Than 60 Shot in Chicago Memorial Day Weekend Violence | NBC Chicago More Than 6 Shot in Chicago Memorial Day Weekend Violence | NBC Chicago

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What can be done?

What needs to be done?

 

Please don't make this a discussion on Chicago Gun Laws or need for more Gun Laws. This discussion needs to be about what is going on in this city and what needs to be done.

Before someone doesn't heed the last sentence of the opening post think of this...There are more guns in Kentucky than in Chicago and we don't see shootings at this level. Many states and cities have as many guns or more than Chicago but without this level of violence...so let's please get past the gun issue and focus on what is wrong in this city.

Police spokesman said the violence is being driven by around 1500 people. Should any extraordinary measures be taken to get them off of the streets permanently?

Eliminate the threats.

Police spokesman said the violence is being driven by around 1500 people. Should any extraordinary measures be taken to get them off of the streets permanently?

 

The problem is street gangs in every major city who account for a large percentage of violence. Until governments start taking them as serious as they did the Mafia decades ago the problem won't go away.

Build more prisons and fillem' up. Get even tougher on sentencing. Profile more, to be more efficient in catching criminals . That would help a bunch.

The problem is street gangs in every major city who account for a large percentage of violence. Until governments start taking them as serious as they did the Mafia decades ago the problem won't go away.

 

The mafia lost its strength more due to prohibition being lifted rather than anything law enforcement did. Once the selling of alcohol became legitimate, the criminal sides selling lost millions and they no longer had turf they needed to protect so gang violence plummeted also.

 

The same is true today only it is drugs instead of alcohol. Because there is demand for drugs and they cannot be sold legally, the illegal sale of drugs is incredibly profitable and because they are illegal, dealers have to protect their turf themselves with violence since you obviously cannot go to the police. You can lock up the dealers but the high profit of drug sales means a new dealer will step up and he will have to claim his turf most likely with violence.

 

I don't like the idea of legalizing drugs but I do acknowledge that our murder rate will stay high unless we do legalize drugs.

The mafia lost its strength more due to prohibition being lifted rather than anything law enforcement did. Once the selling of alcohol became legitimate, the criminal sides selling lost millions and they no longer had turf they needed to protect so gang violence plummeted also.

 

The same is true today only it is drugs instead of alcohol. Because there is demand for drugs and they cannot be sold legally, the illegal sale of drugs is incredibly profitable and because they are illegal, dealers have to protect their turf themselves with violence since you obviously cannot go to the police. You can lock up the dealers but the high profit of drug sales means a new dealer will step up and he will have to claim his turf most likely with violence.

 

I don't like the idea of legalizing drugs but I do acknowledge that our murder rate will stay high unless we do legalize drugs.

 

I'm going to have to disagree on your assessment of the Mafia. While prohibition helped grow the organzations and it stung when it went away. By that time organized crime had sunk it's teeth into all areas. Prohibition didn't kill the Mafia I think most historians would agree the RICO act that started getting members to turn was the biggest player.

 

I will agree that our prohibition on drugs has allowed the criminal element to thrive and grow stronger. I do think a legalization would help lower some of the violence if there weren't drug territories to fight over.

I'm going to have to disagree on your assessment of the Mafia. While prohibition helped grow the organzations and it stung when it went away. By that time organized crime had sunk it's teeth into all areas. Prohibition didn't kill the Mafia I think most historians would agree the RICO act that started getting members to turn was the biggest player.

 

I will agree that our prohibition on drugs has allowed the criminal element to thrive and grow stronger. I do think a legalization would help lower some of the violence if there weren't drug territories to fight over.

 

True but I would say mafia wealth, strength and violence peaked during prohibition more so than pre RICO and while RICO made the infiltration of unions and other rackets more difficult, I would think completely wiping out the alcohol business like ending prohibition was even harsher and ended the gang murders more so than RICO.

 

Regardless, I think you would agree with me that so long as drugs remain illegal and profitable, the murders will continue regardless to what police do. Lock up one drug dealer, some young guy living in crappy government housing sees an opportunity to vast wealth and is willing to risk jail or death to get that wealth quickly.

Here's an idea. Make all drugs legal. People who don't do drugs now probably still won't (there will be exceptions), and people who abuse drugs will die off and the problem will start to go away.

Build more prisons and fillem' up. Get even tougher on sentencing. Profile more, to be more efficient in catching criminals . That would help a bunch.

 

How's that going right now? There isn't an easy "get tough" answer here. As long as there is territory to be claimed and fast money to be made, these shootings are going to happen. As long as there is poverty, there is going to be crime. There isn't a clear cut answer.

Give people more opportunity instead of just enough free money to barely get by.

How's that going right now? There isn't an easy "get tough" answer here. As long as there is territory to be claimed and fast money to be made, these shootings are going to happen. As long as there is poverty, there is going to be crime. There isn't a clear cut answer.

 

Not well because we are not filling them up fast enough

Not well because we are not filling them up fast enough

 

Mostly because they are already over-populated.

It doesn't matter what anyone does if the overwhelming majority doesn't support the Police.