January 1, Chicago’s Violence Crisis Gets Federal Attention

Wyatt’s Take

• Residents and police in Chicago want real help to stop violence.
• Leaders refuse to take blame, downplay problems, and dodge solutions.
• Trump’s law-and-order approach is getting support as crime worsens.

Crime is tearing up Chicago neighborhoods, with city leaders shrugging and blaming others instead of fixing the problem. Many folks, including police, say they’ll take help from anyone willing to bring order, even if it comes from President Trump.

“We hear it. You see it all the time, whether it’s through Tiktok, whether it’s through [Instagram and Facebook] reels, the media is paying attention. Yes, people are asking for help,” State House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said.

Over Labor Day weekend, 58 shootings left eight dead, but Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton called concerns a “manufactured crisis.” Videos are spreading of Chicagoans begging for Trump’s style of hard-nosed support, like he gave Washington, D.C.

McCombie says cops just want the violence to end, no matter who steps in. “I would think that the majority of the law enforcement officers wouldn’t care where the help came from, whether it was from President Trump or a neighboring Democrat state. They need the help.” Chicago is technically number 16 among dangerous cities, but McCombie argues the real picture is much worse since raw numbers hide the scale. “You’re looking at raw numbers, and Chicago is by far, unfortunately, one of the most violent cities in America per capita.” Many police departments aren’t reporting crime, making things look better than they are.

Even if violent crime is down from last year, she says it’s still much higher than the five-year average, and shootings have gotten deadlier. “Although there may be fewer shootings, there are more deaths because of those shootings. So they’re more lethal since 2010.” Carjackings add to the problem, but those aren’t always counted.

Chicago’s mayor won’t say if more police would help. He stumbled through questions about law enforcement on national TV, refusing a straight answer. Right now, almost 80% of the city dislikes his leadership. Chicago’s soft-on-crime policies—like no-cash bail and raising felony thresholds—haven’t helped, and the city records hundreds of homicides every year without real change in sight.

If you think the people running big cities care about regular folks, think again. Stay informed and push for leaders who won’t turn their backs when your town needs help.

Wyatt Matters

Chicago’s struggle with crime shows what happens when leaders look the other way and blame everyone else. Hardworking families deserve safe streets, and it’s time to demand tough action from those in charge.

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