Last year the city of Chicago registered just under 800 homicides; the record-breaking carnage set a new precedent in the "Windy City" because it came on the heels of several anti-violence initiatives that had been instituted by the city's Mayor, Lori Lightfoot. Since 2020, Mayor Lightfoot has introduced citywide ventures to the public, such as the "Comprehensive Violence Reduction Plan," mental health vacation days for students, and the "Summer Safety Strategy;" she even proposed the "Victims' Justice Ordinance" in an effort to sue the gangs of Chicago. Nevertheless, these endeavors have not made much of an impact in terms of combating the city's murder rate because shootings have been up more than 50 percent since 2019.
According to reports, Chicago recently surpassed the 400-mark in terms of citywide homicides on record. As of August 15th, there were 404 murders on record, which puts the city slightly behind its record-setting pace of 2021. To help prevent the city from breaking its own record, Mayor Lightfoot has enacted an early curfew for minors on the weekend, and a new plan called the "Peacebook Ordinance." The plan was created by Lightfoot, city officials, and a youth group called "Good Kids Mad City;" its purpose is to identify more leaders amongst the youth so that money can be invested in their future.
Source: Chicago Tribune
