A little less than a month ago, Jesse Jackson expressed his disgust that there was no media coverage and no public outrage over the 778 shootings and 142 homicides in Chicago in the first three months of 2016 alone.
We disagree on both counts, but especially on the lack of media coverage. Here’s some covering today’s unwelcome landmark:
Chicago Passes 1,000 Shooting Victims For 2016 https://t.co/e17eSVuGG6
— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) April 21, 2016
The number of people shot in Chicago so far this year exceeds New York and Los Angeles combined. https://t.co/B3V1xmXLYs
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) April 21, 2016
If there’s any good news to be had, it’s that the statistic counts the number of shootings, not homicides, although that number currently stands somewhere above 160, a 64 percent increase over last year. CBS Chicago reports that 13 people were shot over a 14-hour period Wednesday, including the thousandth victim, a 16-year-old boy.
It’s not as though Jackson doesn’t have ready access to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was busy today announcing the immediate implementation of a set of police department reforms recommended by the city’s Police Accountability Task Force.
Supt Johnson & @ChicagosMayor talk about implementing reforms to rebuild public trust & commitment to accountability pic.twitter.com/Za0xJMVdlG
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) April 21, 2016
Chicago will make some changes to its police department as a "down payment" on reform https://t.co/sEkdP68tfN
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 21, 2016
“As a city, we cannot rest until we fully address the systemic issues facing the Chicago Police Department, and the steps announced today build on our road to reform,” said Mayor Emanuel in a statement.
Police will now be trained in “restorative justice methods,” where they will take advantage of a “safe space” in which to discuss race, bias, perception and cultural differences, as well as attend community bridge meetings to assist them in restoring public trust and overcoming long-standing cultural differences with the neighborhoods they serve. The city has also expanded its deployment of body cameras, certified more officers in the use of Tasers, and beefed up its Bureau of Internal Affairs.
The mayor and police superintendent also hope that the citizens of Chicago will live by the promise of hashtag and have enlisted local DJs to help.
Today the Mayor and @Chicago_Police Supt. Johnson are meeting with Radio DJs and Hosts to kick-off #PutTheGunsDown. pic.twitter.com/OFTaCLOP2K
— Archive: Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@MayorRahm) April 21, 2016
Coming together with the city's Radio DJs, hosts, and management to reclaim our streets! #PutTheGunsDown pic.twitter.com/4Bf3C983Rk
— Archive: Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@MayorRahm) April 21, 2016
Hashtag campaigns didn’t exactly convince Vladimir Putin not to roll tanks into Ukraine, nor did they inspire Boko Haram to “bring back our girls.” Maybe this one will do the trick.
In the meantime, Chicago can take solace in knowing it’s not solely responsible for last year’s huge uptick in homicides.
Yikes! DC in bad company: W/ Baltimore and Chicago, 3 cities "accounted for 1/2 the increase in homicides last year" https://t.co/eK2xtmGJQY
— Aaron C. Davis (@byaaroncdavis) April 21, 2016
Aren’t those all Democrat-run cities with some of the strongest gun control laws on the books?
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