Public security

Chicago, Nearly a War Zone

Chicago is considered the most gang-infested city in the country, with an estimated gang population of over 100,000, representing nearly 60 different groups including the Vice Lords, the Black Disciples, the Four Corner Hustlers, the Black P. Stones, and the Latin Kings.

Part of the problem is the so called "Ferguson Effect," which has caused CPD officers to back off from enforcing all but the most heinous of crimes. Some officers reported anonymously to the Chicago Sun-Times that they have been afraid to make preemptive stops because the federal Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union are scrutinizing every move they make. This has resulted in the number of “street stops” dropping by 80 percent since the first of the year.

Criminals couldn't care less about gun restrictions placed on private citizens. Chicago’s Crime Lab interviewed Cook County Jail inmates last year and learned that they don’t obtain their guns from gun shows, Internet sales, or gun shops. As Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), explained: “More than two-thirds of these offenders got their guns from family, friends or fellow gang members. These people can’t obtain guns via legal means, and the existing restrictions don’t prevent them from being armed. Criminals can’t get a [FOID] card, and they darn sure can’t get a concealed carry permit.”