Sunday, January 27, 2008

Crime in Chicago

Although we know the city of Chicago has a lot of issues that have yet to be resolved, one of the main issues that concern me is the crime rate. Chicago crime had started in the 1960s and reached its peak in the 1970s. Around the year 2002, the crime rate had lessened significantly but the murder rate was still higher than the leading cities Los Angeles and New York. In the local news, I constantly hear about crime occurring in the inner city where most minorities and low-income families reside. This would include Chicago’s south and west side where a lot of homicides and gang violence are affiliated.

In my opinion, I believe that the problem with violence and gangs can never be truly resolved but it could be lessened if the criminal justice system enforced better sentences. I say that the criminal justice system can be better because a lot of major crimes are lightly punished. For instance, an example would be a time when a young girl was sexually assaulted on Chicago’s Westside while she was walking home from school. Once the criminal was caught, he was only sentenced for a couple of years and then released back into the streets to continue committing crimes and assaulting younger women. I believe a really good solution to the problem would be to give these criminals longer sentences and also provide them with helpful resources to help them change their ways. Resources include guidance counselors and former criminals who have changed their lives for the better and no longer violate others.

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