Delphine Cherry And anyone knows how hard it is to commit violent crime Chicago. In 1992, her teenage daughter was shot dead in one of the city’s tallest neighborhoods – a bystander was caught in a gang gunfight. Twenty years later, it declared her son in a suburb south of the city.
“You don’t think it will happen twice in your life,” she said.
Chicago Donald Trump promises to deploy the president has been ready for weeks National Guard The troops head to the third largest city in the United States. Although Trump said the troops would help fight crime in cities he described as “hell residents,” his administration has austered the details of the operation, including when it will start, how long it will last, how many troops will be used and what role they play in civilian law enforcement.
Trump also sent troops back and forth Chicago – Sometimes insisting that he would take unilateral action to deploy them, while at other moments he would rather send them to a state where the governor of another state “wishes us come in.” Recently, he said this week Chicago Then there is “maybe next” National Guard The troops were sent to Memphis.
Although Chicago For some time, any major U.S. city and state leaders overwhelmingly opposed planned actions, calling it a political theater. Even those who are most directly affected, including those who commit violent crimes of losing loved ones, want to know how dispatched forces will have a lasting impact on the struggle against them.
With the plan Chicago Deploy unknown, method National Guard Forces are already in Los Angeles, and Washington may provide clues this summer.
In June, Trump deployed thousands of people Guard Forces head to Los Angeles amid protests over the government’s immigrants there. Despite initially allocating troops to the federal government, they also provided protection for immigrant agents during the raid and participated in a force at a park in an immigrant community in Los Angeles, which local officials believe is for sowing.
In August, Trump announced that he would put Washington’s police forces under his control and mobilize federal forces to reduce crime and homelessness there. The deployed troops patrol around subway stations, in the heaviest area of the U.S. capital. But they were also found picking up trash and raking leaves in city parks.
The White House reported that more than 2,100 people had been arrested in Washington in the first weeks of Trump’s announcement of mobilization of federal forces. Mayor Muriel Bowser attributed the decline in crime to federal deployments, including a robbery drop of 87%, but also criticized frequent immigration arrests by the masked ice hockey team. However, the rate of cases removed was unusually high, including at least one judge, wondering if prosecutors were making charges before appropriate investigation and review of the case.
What makes Washington unique is that it is a federal area, but will allow Trump’s power to take over local police forces for up to 30 days. The decision to use the troops to try to fight crime in other democratically controlled cities will represent an important escalation.
Although the Trump administration did not say what the troops were going to do and Chicago They will be in progress with explicit commitments to surge in federal agents for immigration enforcement. The city’s so-called asylum policy is the country’s most powerful and powerful local police working with federal immigration enforcement.
Chicago isn’t the only Democratic-led city in Trump’s sight – he also mentioned that Baltimore could be a target. But Trump seems to be particularly ridiculing at Big Windy City and warned in a social media post themed “Revelation” earlier this month: “’I love the smell of morning deportation. Chicago It’s about to find out why it’s called the Ministry of War. ”
But the president’s criticism is more often concerned about how democratic leaders in cities and states respond to crime.
Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker repeatedly point out crime rates Chicago and request more funding for federal prevention programs, rather than sending National Guard.
According to Rochester Polytechnic Institute, there were 573 homicides in the city last year, with 21 homicides per 100,000 residents. This is 25% less than in 2020 and 25% less than several other major cities. Like most large cities, violent crimes are not evenly distributed in Chicagomost shootings occurred on the south and west sides.
“If it’s about security, the Trump administration won’t cut $158 million in federal funding for violence prevention programs this year.”
Cherry’s 16-year-old daughter Tyesa was killed Chicago’s The Gold Coast neighborhood opened fire on rival gang members through a 14-year-old boy, and the tortured mother moved her family to Hazel Crest, a suburb south of the city.
“We are planning a dance party. She is going to go to college to become a nurse.” cherry explain.
Her son Tyler was fatally shot dead in the driveway of the family’s suburban home in 2012 after being killed in Tessa.
Although her child’s death made Cherry a champion of anti-Vitoron – she sat on a target committee in Illinois – she didn’t believe that dispatch forces would do their best to fight crime Chicagoit may make the streets more dangerous.
“They won’t ask questions.” cherry Talking about National Guard. “They are trained to kill the sight.”
When Trevon Bosley was 7 years old, his 18-year-old brother Terrell was shot dead while unloading drums outside the church before the band rehearsal in 2006, he also believed that sending troops was not the answer.
“exist Chicago,” said Bosley, whose brother’s killings remain unresolved. “There are some communities that need help. When these resources are provided, they become as beautiful as the city, as beautiful as the north side. ”
Like Johnson, Pritzker and other critics of force deployment, Bosley believes better funding will have a real positive impact on the parts of the city with the highest crime and poverty rates.
“It’s not that we have a police shortage,” Bosley said. “This National Guard Police appeared after the shooting. They haven’t shown up before. It’s not about stopping or saving anyone. ”
