According to published reports, violent crimes—including homicides, rapes, and robberies—have experienced an uptick in numerous American cities.
Although these concerns follow a period of historically low crime rates, the rise is disturbing and must raise concerns among law enforcement, private security, and law abiding community members.
Any level of violence is unacceptable as it brings brokenness to the lives of victims and their families, and wounds the heart of American communities.
FBI Director James B. Comey poignantly expressed his concern about violence by recently stating, “Sometimes people say to me, ‘Well the increases are off historic lows.’ How does that make any of us feel better? A whole lot more people are dying this year than the year before. And I don’t know why for sure.”
Chicago: America’s Violence Epicenter
In my July 10, 2015, article for the Epoch Times titled “Chicago Gang Crisis: Epicenter of Violence in America,” I detailed blistering violence continually making headlines in Chicago.
The article detailed the tragedies of Chicago’s murdered children and summoned a clarion call to America. I pleaded with the nation to listen to the cries of broken-hearted mothers losing their children to violence.
I cited sobering information, including a 2009 published report indicating that 508 Chicago children were shot during a 16-month span, with 25 killed.
The Chicago crisis continues especially in poorer neighborhoods. This past Memorial Day weekend saw six people fatally shot and 56 wounded. The blood bath in America’s windy city has no end in sight as the 66 homicides this May are 19 more than May 2015 and 25 more than May 2014. Already May is 50 percent higher than last year, putting it on pace to surpass the 500 homicides it experienced in 2012.
