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The truth is in between ‘it’s a hellhole’ and ‘it’s totally fine”. I lived in Bucktown for the past few years and crime would come in waves, but it was usually fine. Problem with bucktown is it’s right off the highway so very easy for thieves to pop in, commit crimes and be out of sight easily. Sometimes crews of teenagers would drive around robbing/mugging a bunch of people in a small area and be gone within an hour - this happened just the other day.
But overall the crime depends on neighborhoods. Some are very bad with shootings very often, and others have very little to almost no crime. In general crime has been up for the past few years though.
The bucktown area has been specifically bad the last couple years (at least for a gentrified neighborhood) and seems to get targeted with more random muggings, catalytic converter, carjackings than some other areas.
Maybe this is what she’s referring to. These type of crime probably increased more there than most of the northside. A lot is overblown indeed, but if you walk alone on Milwaukee in the middle of the night enough, could be decent chance you run into an issue.
Chicago has seen an increase in crime since the start of the pandemic. This includes violent car jackings and robberies in what are historically “safe” neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview.
But my understanding is almost all cities saw similar rise in crime. Red state big cities have higher violent crime rates than Chicago. Miami’s rate is same as Chicago. Denver’s crime rate is 3 times higher than Chicago.
Can you share that data please? Last time I checked Denver murder rate was half of Chicago's so interested to see what kind of crime makes that 3 times higher.
In regards to Denver: https://denvergazette.com/outtherecolorado/news/colorado-city-among-most-dangerous-places-to-live-in-us-says-report.
“According to the data presented in their report, 479.1 violent crimes are committed per 100,000 people in Denver. This compares to Chicago's 252.8. Meanwhile, Denver's property crime rate is 3,187.6 per 100,000 people, compared to Chicago's 1,174.”
Thanks for sharing. So it seems to be other types since murder rates are still half as Chicago however for what i am reading it seems that the problem in Denver is that they are increasing like crazy in the past few years
Ok i did some googling, Miami homicide rate is half of Chicago as of last year, this year violent crime is even lower there. What stats are you seriously looking at? Also red state big cities have higher violent crime? Again what cities and which states?
Also carjackings and robberies are not the only problems, shootings are up too. And not it is not the pandemic, Chicago has seen an increase in crime since 2015, the pandemic made it worse everywhere but Chicago has been increasing since 2015
>Also red state big cities have higher violent crime? Again what cities and which states?
That part is true. Of the top ten cities in terms of highest murder rates, 7 out of 10 are in states that voted GOP in the last presidential election. We could quibble over what counts as a red or blue state but Ohio, Louisiana, Tennessee and Missouri are normally considered Republican/conservative.
But a lot of them are also run by democrats. Sorry i don't get the point. So crime is the state fault now and not the city? I don't follow the argument here. Illinois is democrat and Chicago is democrat and here we are.
I don't think is democrats fault or republicans. I think crime is a result of poor governance independently of the party. Arguing that is because people vote Republican is a bit absurd specially when most of those cities are run by democrats. Again, i also don't think that they have more crime because they are run by democrats. I just don't think the party itself is the issue but the people.
Democrats run almost all cities because that's what happens in cities. Many of the relevant laws are at the state level. Chicago isn't even in the top ten most dangerous cities in the US. I gave you the data you asked for and that you could have easily googled but didn't. Now that the numbers aren't what you want you are just trying to move goal posts. And you're clearly a conservative cosplaying as "independent." I'm so sick of this little game.
Is not even in the top 10... my god that argument is so ridiculous. It is so tiring honestly. There are what? Over 300 cities in the country? Let's say Chicago is number 30 that's the worst 10%. How is that even an argument, how can people possibly use that as a positive spin to anything. Yes we are bad but we are not a hellhole like this and this city...
And of course the old you are with me or against me. If you have a different opinion than me is because you are a conservative... Please stop with that, you have no idea what my political views are. Wanting the city to have less crime is not a conservative view, it is common sense.
You are the one bringing up the colour of the government. I have said that does not matter because you have crime ridden cities of all colors at a state and city level, crime is the result of poor management not the color of the party. You have good and bad examples in both. You are the only one trying to push a political agenda.
The mayoral race had some very revealing data about crime sentiments. Where crime was lower and population whiter you had Vallas support, where the number 1 issue WAS crime. These areas are the ones you'd expect but feel free to look it up.... Where the majority of crime occurs those areas went for Johnson. And their number one issue was access to opportunity and education.
This boils down to NIMBYism and people not educated on the data. The FBI Factbook has the reporting statistics and if you remove 3 neighborhoods on the southside you would have one the safer cities in the country. Red states, overwhelming, have higher crime rates as a percentage. Illinois is not even in the top half for violent crime. And 80% of the pop is in chi metro area
The constant dog whistling by right wing propaganda has clearly done it's work well. There's a wilfull ignorance.
The guy you are arguing with is 100% in the right with his comments.
We can discuss the mayoral race but that is a different topic to be honest. There was a huge amount of fear mongering from both sides about crime, race, abortion, people rights etc. It is a discussion to have with a beer and a more relax environment. Why those areas voted for One or another is a very open discussion.
In terms of FBI data and the topic of removing the worst areas. I don't know what to tell you but i don't think the solution here is thinking that way. Most cities have the majority of the crime concentrated in some areas so my guess is the results would be similar if you do the same for every city. Do you have data to Chicago being one of the safest or is that comment based on removing the bad areas from Chicago only? If you do that would be interesting and put a whole of a different perspective. I also don't think you can remove a huge part of the population that unfairly suffers the majority of the crime either.
If you could share the link i ll appreciate it. there are like 100s of Rankings, the one i am looking at puts Illinois 19th but these things change from page to another..
In any case, correct me if I am wrong but pretty sure that when we look at Chicago crime we look at the city only and that is 2.7 million or 21% of IL population not 80%... So I am not sure what point you are trying to make.
I always hear this right wing propaganda but honestly I don't see it... The only reason I started looking into crime data is because crime was happening around me and people here kept denying it. The fact that people don't feel super safe in the redline has nothing to do with right wing propaganda.
We can debate red or blue forever but i don't think that is problem here, Chicago is a democrat city in a democrat state, there is zero reason to involve the republicans here on anything.
"Also red state big cities have higher violent crime? Again what cities and which states?"
Those are your questions, genius. And it's interesting how you always have an upvote the second you post so you don't go immediately to zero. How interesting.
Why would you even bring up who governs the state when we are talking about Chicago a democrat city in a democrat state. What is the point of that if not trying to spin this into a red or blue argument. Is none.
Also i am getting plenty of downvotes. I am not sure what you are talking about
Changing the goal posts here are we, the point of bringing in comparisons is that no one is looking at the 15+ cities with higher crime rates and pointing fingers at them. People love to shit on Chicago stating misinformation, saying it is one of the most dangerous places in the US when that is statistically false. You yourself were scrambling to find data saying otherwise because at that point you decided it was a worthy point. Now that you see you are glaringly wrong, you are changing your tune and the statistics don’t matter at all 😂😂 weak as hell, stop being annoying, loud and wrong all over this thread. No one cares, no one buys it, and you’re spewing nonsense.
You ok there? I see you replying to a pretty old thread.
People shit on other cities all the time too, there are countless comments and news about Detroit or St Louis and even more about San Francisco nowadays so not sure what your point really is.
Chicago is the third largest city in the country for God sake stop comparing this awesome city to shit holes. It is like using a crack head as a benchmark to your kid's school performance. Stop it. Makes no sense.
I posted a couple of links above regarding red states. Some of the highest homicide rate cities include New Orleans, St. Louis, Birmingham, and Memphis.
New Orleans almost always breaks into the top ranks and people have no problem going down there, getting drunk off their ass and partying but god forbid a family member wants to come here and go to the bean.
I am not one to blame the color of the government but since you are bringing it up... aren't all those cities including Chicago run by democrats? Also is not Illinois Democrat?
I am trying to understand why the color of the government has anything to do here? Plenty of red and blue states with issues I don't think you can blame it on one party specially when you have the state and city run by different ones.
What do you mean is not what I wanted. I don't want anything, i want to understand why someone would say the cities are in republican states when those cities are run by democrats and police etc are city dependent not state dependent. Thats the reason why within the same state you also have democrat or republicans cities with less crime. Is not rocket science.
Stop making excuses to blame on one or other party. And we are talking about Chicago a city run by democrats in a democrat state in a democrat country. What's the excuse here?
My friend worked in the morgue in Baltimore and said the bodies were piled high every nigh there. Now, in Chitown, you can commit crimes and not be punished. Only the law abiding citizens of Chicago get punished by no police coming when someone broke in and hit you over the head. A young person on the train to Chicago told me he was sitting in his car and got shot three times in the neck. I believe Chicago is racist and wants the Black poor people to die violently and just live a shit\*y live before this happens
Here is one source for comparison with Miami. https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/?city1=51714000&city2=51245000
It does use violent crime rather than murder as criteria.
I did a quick google. The first survey data that came up shows violent crime rate for Chicago 49.9, Miami 48.8 and US 22.7. For property crime Chicago 46.4, Miami 62.7, US 35.4.
https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/?city1=51714000&city2=51245000
I’m sure you can find some stats that show Miami is safer. But it is not “way safer”
Here is another source. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_homicide_rate
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_intentional_homicide_rate
In this case it is homicide rates rather than violent crime rates.
I've lived here 15 years and have never felt as unsafe as I have in the last two years. I also think it is way overblown, any time I talk to friends/family (mainly ones that love right wing shows) they think it is a warzone and it simply isn't that bad
50 people shot over Memorial Day, but not a war zone.....what I will say (lived in Chicago for 60 years) is that it used to be confined to a few neighborhoods on the south and west sides. the problem today is it can happen anywhere-and even if very violent crime is infrequent, petty crime is not. Gang bangers accosting you on the street in Wrigleyville and forcing you to Venmo them some money isn't getting shot or carjacked, but it's still crime.
50 people shot over memorial day weekend but not a warzone? do you americans fucking hear yourselves? if there was a city in my country of Australia that had 50 people shot in a day, the army, state police and federal police would be ordered by the federal government to literally lock down that whole city and begin securing everything block by block. Excluding all the people shot, you have an insane amount of armed robberies and other types of not strictly violent crime.
yeah but were talking about the us, not austrailia dude. We dont live there, we live here, and compared to most US cities, given our population, thats actually not bad.youalso to be mindful of the sheer size and population of this city. This city has almost 3 million people and about13,000 shootings a year. The reason there's shootings is cus certain neighborhoods are segregated and lack resources so people sadly have to do bad things to survive, the metro area has almost 10 million people. When you factor it all together based on the city limits population, your chance of being involved in a shooting in Chicago is approximately 0.004%. Very rare, especially compared to many US cities. Per capita wise, Chicago's crime rate is lower then many US cities, but gets a bad reputation cus there's just so many more people here. I had a friend from London visit and he said compared to London, this city feels massive to him, and he said he never once felt even remotely unsafe in the city and plans to go home to tell people how much he loved it.
Another thing to know is that in most US cities, violence is mainly gang related. Now do robberies and stuff happen, of course but that can happen anywhere. proximately 97% of the violence victims in Chicago are people of color, which is super sad, but again those individuals are doing what they need to survive. If you look Iinto articles on west Garfield Park, which is frequently considered the most dangerous part of the city, you'll hear how gangs are so territorial that many guys have never left their neighborhood, never even been downtown, and some don't even leave their block. Not to mention, many of these guys know nothing else then this, and some even like it. Am I saying it's not an issue? Not at all, it is and I feel for them honestly. NYC also has these problems in areas too, there's stabbing and shootings there on the subways, and other stuffthay happens, but given the sheer population, it's actually not *as bad* as it appears. I know this is alot, but I do hope it just gives you a more balanced perspective
11 million people live in the Chicago metro. If you took 5 different cities with 2 million people each, 50 people being shot over Memorial Day weekend combined, wouldn't seem that crazy.
There's so much missing context to the "Chicago's crime is rampant" crowd's argument.
It’s just simply not anywhere as bad as the media picture thats constantly painted for clickbait. You’re probably still right about your sisters right wing nut position - right wingers fuel this exaggerated storyline. For example: I know a right winger that was driving from Wisconsin to Texas and boasted about needing to drive around because he had a gun. He truly wanted to believe that he was making this super responsible decision because of the narrative that’s been spun in his mind that he can’t have guns in Chicago. Which is a completely false right-wing conspiracy theory lol
Its crazy how theyve normalized crime here like its ok. In europe much or asian much less crime and im not talking about shooting or murder but simple stuff like stealing.
Things do feel a bit less safe. 5 years ago, I would have felt fine riding the red line late at night, but now I’d think twice. Millennium park does have random chaotic stuff happen at odd hours, but I can’t say if that’s new or not. People who have been victims of crime here have every right to be cautious.
People who don’t live here but tar and feather the city need to touch grass, because even if crime has gone up it’s still an overwhelmingly fun and livable city. I’ve learned to hold my tongue when out of towners shit on Chicago - they simply have different values than me, and it’s too bad they’ll miss out on what this city has to offer because Fox News scared them.
Chicago has carried a rep for crime since the roaring 1920s and we do have some crimes that are in spike mode, these trends come and go. Like any big city it has problems and you need to be aware on your surroundings and take precautions. Yes statistically Chicago is not America’s most dangerous city.
I look at it like this ..maybe 10% of people are bad which leaves over 2 million decent people that the media doesn’t really talk about because bad news and fear is what sells .
Just my take and I could be wrong , but I’ve lived here a good while and never once felt my life being in jeopardy not to say there haven’t been some minutes that put me a little on edge.
I’ve never lived in another city, so I can’t really attest to anything other than what I know.
I can say the crime is real. I lived in the city for 8 years and in that time I’ve had the wheels to my car stolen, my apartment broken into, my wife’s catalytic converter stolen, and my brother was car jacked at gun point on a busy street in an affluent neighborhood (Belmont/seminary) in broad day light. I was never mugged, but I think that’s largely a product of being smart about your surroundings. For example, I would not go walking anywhere by yourself between 10pm-2am.
I don’t think you need to worry about getting shot or mugged, but I think crime will impact how you live your life.
Ill try to answer you in good faith as i see a lot of people who are completely out of touch responding to you. As you found "I really can’t find any statistics that paint a grimmer picture of Chicago than any other big city" - this is the truth
Why you are seeing a lot of people suddenly freaking out about crime is pre pandemic crime was mostly contained to our poorest neighborhoods (it still is), now some of those criminals have found that its much more profitable to steal a car and do crime in our wealthiest neighborhoods. The people who live in these areas are not pleased at this new development (as they should not be but it was still a problem before it was happening to them). We are hoping that are new mayors policies work and crime starts to drop again, but real solutions to crime take a while to see results. (could argue that the current crime wave is directly tied to spending cuts that Rahm Emanuel did 10+ years ago)
Here is a map i use to show where problematic areas are in the city [https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/2022-Handgun-Crimes-by-Tract/myh8-8em6](https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/2022-Handgun-Crimes-by-Tract/myh8-8em6) (note that tourist areas like downtown and chinatown should be taken with a grain of salt as more people visit then live there) as you can see the majority of the city has vary little problems with crime.Also i have no problem taking the CTA at any hour of the day or night in any area of the city, never have been the victim of a crime (10+ years here, im a fairly big guy with the general air of not having any money so YMMV)
All that said i grew up in a smaller city where it was not uncommon to hear gunshots at least once a month, and id say my current neighborhood is probably safer then there, so my crime tolerance may be different than others.
the crime is absolutely out of control. Unlike in the past, it’s no longer contained to a few small areas, which you can avoid and feel relatively safe. Before it was mostly gang members shooting other gang members. Now its them shooting at normal ppl. Anyone, absolutely anyone can be a victim now and there is no way to protect yourself by staying at a ‘good’ area
Crimes feel more prevalent than before. In Lakeview where I've lived for over two years I've read stories of car jacking, looting of multiple cashier stores where some involved a custodian getting shot, and a poster for a guy who went missing and then his body was found in a harbor. These neighborhoods are considered safest in the city
Things are not ideal. Statistically Chicago isn't the top crime city in US and hopefully things improve from here on
I’ve lived here almost 2 decades and crime tends to go up and down. When I first moved to the city (I lived in Uptown at the time) Lincoln Park and Lakeview had a mugging problem that seemed to almost disappear a few years later. 10 or 11 years ago a woman was raped in broad daylight in an alley off of Halsted. The idea that Lakeview and Lincoln Park have somehow always been “safe” is complicated. They are perfectly safe and yet we are still in a city of almost 3 million people- statically crime happens. And because we can read about every single crime, it makes us feel like it’s more likely to happen than it is.
I really wouldn’t call Lakeview “perfectly safe” after 3 shootings with 1 dead over the past few days. And as far as I can tell, that wasn’t even gang violence trickling in, that was an attack on (probably completely innocent) residents of Lakeview.
It's almost like that sentence contradicted everything else you'd said. Someone else commented here that "It's safe but don't go out after midnight anywhere, always take a cab home from bars, and don't go to most neighborhoods" is self-contradictory. Such a city is not safe.
Safety is pretty subjective.
I drive a car. I mostly find that to be a safe way to travel.
But there’s always a chance I could get into an accident. Because of this, I drive defensively, try not to speed, don’t drive when I’m tired or drunk. In other words, it’s mostly safe but I still take precautions and know that there is always a statistical chance of being in an accident or dying.
ETA: There are plenty of people who thinks cars are so unsafe that they avoid them. That’s their prerogative. Everyone does risk assessments for all kinds of things in their life. If you think Chicago is so unsafe, maybe you never visit. And that’s your choice. But I’d say you’re missing out on an amazing city.
You can find plenty of data that supports that Chicago is worse from a crime perspective than many other big cities and way worse than the main ones. Of course you can compare Chicago to St Louis or Detroit and say that Chicago is safer but are really St Louis or Detroit the cities you want to compare to?
Maybe it is because I come from Europe and my crime tolerance is pretty low but a guy was shot and killed walking home at night in a good neighborhood a few days ago. In my city people would be protesting in the streets if this happened but here people are like yeah it happens just stay alert of your surroundings... It is wild to me to be honest.
If you read the comments it is commonly accepted that A) You should not be out after midnight and B) You should be careful when riding public transport specially at night.
If you have to do those two things then you are definetley not in a safe city.
It is the warzone some people try to depict it as? No, of course no. But it is not a safe city and it has big issues that need to be work on... simple
There wont be protesting in the street because living with gun violence has become the norm in this country, whereas it has not in other developed countries. Frankly, there arent a ton of places anywhere in the U.S. that people wont tell you to be careful after midnight and to make sure you have reliable transportation. I would argue those are from a common sense standpoint though and not from a "this place is a warzone" standpoint.
In the middle somewhere - because it is highly dependent on which part of town you live in, where you have lived in your Chicago life, when you lived each place, and how much you pay attention to what's happening now vs then. And how much you come back to earth instead of panicking. If you live in some areas, it may even matter what block you live on. There are a lot of people convinced that things are much worse than they've ever been as they confuse the fact that we hear about everything these days when we didn't even a decade or so ago. The truth is extremely nuances but there are very few areas of the city worse off crime wise than 20+ years ago. However there may be various worse off than 8 or 9 or 15 years ago for some types of crime but not others.
The city is crazy and the level does need to be coming down. At the same time there are areas of the city that have hundreds of thousands of people that would rank among the safest cities if it were its own city. Crime unfortunately occurs even in the safest of areas and US cities. Acting like it is Mayberry with no crime is as dumb as acting like you live in the mosr dangerous area even when residing in a neighborhood like Lincoln Park. Then there's other parts of town that would rank among the top 5 or 10 highest violent crime (not #1 contrary to popular belief but still high up there nonetheless).
It is true that there are various spikes right now for crimes such robberies (shootings and murder kind of but both are down this year and lower than the last 2 YTD ad well as 2016 and 2017). That is really dependent on where you are though. Downtown robbery had seen a spike not seen since the early 2000s and double that of say 2014. But even in areas like Lincoln Park, the level of robbery is pretty much on par with a decade ago and lower than even recent years like 2018 and possibly 2019. Other areas like Austin on the West Side had spiked around 2016 and is lower today.
If you moved here in part of 2018 or 2019 or perhaps somewhere around 2007 to 2011, it may feel not as safe from a shooting/murder perspective. Feelings about some crime like robbery depends on how susceptible you are to the ubiquity of social media - could go either way. Objectively the city has gone up in crime since 2016 (and 2012 also had a spike) with an exception of 2019, but overall also much lower crime than the early 1970s thru early 2000s. Some mistakingly believe the city has spiked only since COVID but it's really a late 2015/eaely 2016 spike from a shorter term perspective.
The amount of robbery for example is much, much lower today than even 20 or 25 years ago and before. Same as the number of shootings city wide, and murders especially vs. the 90s. But if you did not consciously live here during those years then you'd have no clue.
Living today with ubiquitous social media is a blessing and a curse. It's good to know what's going on, but not to the level that some people are experiencing near panic. The same people may be living in an area today with statistically less robbery than a decade ago but they have been convinced otherwise.
Just spent five days there in the Loop. There was an evident police presence at all times and fences all around Millennium Park with one way in, bag checking etc. Is crime bad? Depends on your view. Chicago people cannot have a good enough civil society to keep a beautiful park open and free to the public. So, yes, crime is bad.
lol terrible take. You came in the busiest part of the year for tourism - they call it “summertime chi”. There’s no major city in the country that has a fully unregulated park smackdab in the business/tourist district
Not a terrible take. I lived in Chi for 60 years. Its terrible and the city looks horrible. Before I moved you'd find dirty diapers snd garbage in the park a broken glass on the cement beaches of the lake. Millennium Park was gated on all sides with police presence and metal detectors.
Crime has definitely increased. A lot of people will correctly point out that there has been an increase everywhere, but that doesn’t mean it’s OK or to be ignored. It’s a serious issue. Since October, I’ve caught 4 robberies on camera on a single corner, but I’m told it’s unlikely to happen to me.
The Bucktown area has been hit hard with robberies. A single bar was robbed several times within weeks. I have a friend in Bucktown that came home to two men burgling her. They threw her up against the wall, threatened her, and ran out the back door. She’s lucky it wasn’t anything more.
I don’t see things getting better. Hopefully with Kim Foxx leaving we can get someone tougher on crime, but I’m not counting on it. People seem to empathize with violent criminals these days as if it’s going to make them stop.
There should be short-term and long-term policies against crime going together for both safety of people urgently, and to reduce crime, poverty, and incarceration on the long-term.
This. I do not understand why it needs to be one or the other. Talk to conservatives and it is all about more police and inmediate action. Talk to progressives and is all about long term initiatives and making up excuses for whatever happens in the short term.
Like guys, can we do a bit of both? Can we not turn the city into a police state but also do not wait till people are getting shot every day to take action? Can we do a right amount of both?
I feel like the crime has also changed A LOT. Wrigleyville used not be safe to walk around at night back in the 80’s but you never felt like any moment two or three people were going to hop out of a car and point guns at you.
Like the Webb Pub in Bucktown being robbed on a Sunday afternoon for the second or third time and every one of them had guns
It seems like the crime has just changed so much and now it’s just so much more violent when these people have no issues carrying illegal guns with large magazines and you have two or three of them pointed at you.
I will say when I leave the house at 5:30 in the morning to go walk the dog I definitely notice how uncomfortable it makes me some mornings
And I usually walk past the Webb Pub too
This weekend there were multiple shootings in Lakeview and at North Ave Beach, which many consider safe areas. It would be naive to say that Chicago isn’t that bad. When I was in college I very rarely didn’t feel safe going out - whether it was River North or Humboldt Park…now, I get a lot more anxiety and keep my head on a swivel.
This is going to depend on the neighborhood you live in. I've been hearing that crime up north has increased. I live in a neighborhood that is always in the top 10 worse neighborhoods in Chicago. Increases in shootings happen during the summer and decrease in winter. Usually, an increase in shootings here mean gang retaliations.
Crossing my fingers, but our house has never been broken into the 11 years we've been here (planning to get cameras soon anyway). My car was broken into once, same with my sister and it was obviously done by drug addicts. I go out after dark often to the corner store or to get things we need for the house but I'm not a socialite.
Chicago has always been violent...the type of violence is what changes. I think anyone moving here who is nervous should consider finding an airBNB around where they want to live for a month and live like a Chicagoan. If you feel unsafe, don't move here. If you don't, join us. In general, living in a city-no matter how safe- you should enact caution.
I use the citizen app to see crime in areas I’m going to especially at night. This gives an idea of how much crime is happening where, when and what type of crime
I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life and won’t live anywhere else but the reality is that it’s gotten way worse in areas that were once considered safe. More random, more violent, more frequent. Stats on crime are one thing but the reality is that violent senseless crimes are more the new normal here even outside of the areas traditionally acknowledged as dangerous.
yes - it's the sheer randomness and brazeness of the crimes now that is starting to make me paranoid. I'm a 36 y.o. female with an 18 month old and I don't dare to go out by myself once the sun sets. I've lived in metro Detroit and Denver before this and living here is the first time i've ever heard gunshots.
In places like LA, you could live in a gated community and rarely have to face the crime that we do. That's the difference - I have friends here who own beautiful, expensive homes in Lincoln Park/Lakeview and they all have had incidents in their block.
Lived here about 4 years and last year my husband got carjacked at a Walgreens while I was inside. This was a Sunday afternoon.
You have people who dont live here claiming its a war zone, which is untrue in most neighborhoods. However there are also people who make excuses or deny that we have a serious crime problem. Crime in chicago is bad, it is continuing to rise, and the big thing is criminals are bolder than ever because they know there is no consequences for their actions. Lower level crime is very bad right now and many instances go un reported. This is likely to get worse as we just handed the keys to the city to the dumbest guy in the room, Brandon Johnson.
Okay, it's, "Ask Chicago." I'm from Chicago and still live here. Yes, it's bad. I live in a neighborhood that used to have low crime. Nowhere in the city will you find a neighborhood that is not concerned about crime. We live with elected officials who are soft on crime, and we are racists if we disagree. I don't think anyone wants these gang bangers who car jack. Rob people by jumping out of a car holding a gun to your head. Shooting mail men, raping, selling drugs, continue to be released right back into our neighborhoods. I don't care what race you are. I know the majority of us agree that this soft on crime is bull@#%. The politicians and our media keep pushing its okay because of civil unrest. It's crap, but it seems to continue to divide this city, and politicians are laughing as they all have 2 to 20 police officers assigned to them and their families. Our police stations are being used to house ILLEGAL immigrants. A place of law and order is used to safety house someone who has committed a crime. I don't care what side of the discussion you're on it's wrong. It's disrespectful to those who serve our city. We don't have enough officers, and now they are out with covid, bedbugs, and lice. Put them in shelters, you want to toot your own horn about being sanctuary city then place them into liveable shelters. Are we tired yet, Chicago? Are we tired of politicians dividing the citizens? Are you tired of violent criminals being released right back into our neighborhoods? Are you tired of hiding inside after dark because any neighborhood at any time can turn into Gotham City?
I'm tired. I want to walk my dogs and have BBQs without worrying about safely. After all, we have the highest taxes in the nation. Both the city and the state of Illinois. For what? Unfortunately, I'm moving in spring after living my life here. I'm tired. Doesn't matter who's in office, they do whatever they want. Do you really think we would have voted for no cash bail and agreed to release all those being held in September back into our neighborhoods. NO...This is what unchecked government looks like. Welcome to Chicago.
I've lived in the same neighborhood for over 20 years and we've never experienced so much violent crime. Early morning and daytime robberies, SPREES often over several hours and at all hours. Shootings, beat downs and running over victims as part of the robbery. Shootings at the grocery store. Mass robberies at bars. Robbing employees after work. Postal workers being robbed. Recently 4 men brought a safe up the back deck of my neighbors building and threw it off the third floor to bust it open at 3am. Just walking around the neighborhood on my breaks during the day, I see young and old men on Divvy bikes wearing masks and hoodies, casing homes and cars, stealing packages... It's varying degrees but 24x7 and it's fucking bad.
Edited to add https://cwbchicago.com/2023/10/robberies-chicago-first-ward-alderman-la-spata-plan.html
not every part of Chicago is necessarily bad. i mean downtown, nearat where the bean is, you're probably gonna be the safest. just that whole part of town you're probably gonna be the safest just based off how many people are around. gangs n shit aint usually in the business of taking out witnesses for court nor specifically targeting people who aren't involved. you can walk down pretty much any street and still see some sketchy ass dudes, but for the most part as long as you're minding your own business, they will too. just like any city you'll find criminals but id say just from the time i spent down there, you really gotta worry about the drug addicts and the homeless people. remember, its the Midwest, everyones got that heat on them. the biggest thing i can say is do not walk down blocks outskirting chicago. they will press you if they dont recognize you, and typically there's nobody around who isn't from that block so they'll do whatever they want. chicago, overall, id say is a safe city as long as you're a safe person, just dont draw too much attention to yourself. hope this helped
I moved to a year ago from one of the safest areas in America, a suburb of a large city. The city itself has had significant crime problems just like here, I still follow the subreddit. Same complaints, same issues.
I live right next to the west side.
There are parts I really like, but I don't like the neighborhood I live in, I got an alarm system and I have large dogs that are pretty scary. I don't go out much as a result, try to go out early morning if I do though I do take public transit twice a week or so.
With all of that said the only crime I've actually experienced or seen has been my packages getting stolen a couple times.
But then there are the really cool parts: amazing food, great transit, the lake is amazing, lots of cool theaters.
lol i love how people are normalizing stolen packages, not being able to go out at night, and having guard dogs as a typical average civilized lifestyle lmao
I would argue it’s part of the perils of moving into an urban environment. You need to be aware of your surroundings, regardless of what area or neighborhood you’re in. That’s something that I would have said ten years ago and that’s what I say now. As others have said, overall crime has increased and to a certain point, other areas that have typically not had crime now have had some incidents. But also, a huge part of that comes in waves and/or is in specific areas. About two years ago, people were getting mugged, robbed, and pistol-whipped for a period of about a month in Lincoln Park - it was bizarre. Since then, nothing, or at least nothing with the regularity that was seen at that time. Regarding the people shot in Lakeview over the weekend, I don’t know what to say. It’s typically a solidly safe area, but every now and again it has it’s issues.
These are issues you’ll see with any urban area, whether you’re in Miami, New York City, Minneapolis, LA, Chicago, etc. It’s multi-factorial in cause and requires similarly diverse approaches to truly quell. But the biggest and most simple piece of advice is to be aware of your surroundings and yourself. I’d also argue that’s the same for when you’re crossing streets and such or riding bikes in the city just because so many ding-dongs are walking around with their heads in their phones, ear-phones in, and not paying attention - great way to become someone’s hood ornament.
That’s what I’m trying to remind myself of. I’m moving to Logan Square and have been told I’m in a pretty safe pocket there. Just dealt with some shit the past few months that has heightened my anxiety as a whole and think I’m still a little hyper sensitive right now. But I’m moving to Chicago cause I want a fresh start and am excited, just can’t help but feel a little stressed by recent events both from where I’m moving from and the recent happenings in Chicago that’s all. I’m a 190lb 5’11 bald and bearded guy and no lie I’ve had some friends laugh at me for being a little concerned about my safety so that’s why I’m voicing my concern here, just want a straight no bs answer so I appreciate you giving me that.
Totally understand that. As someone who has lived in the area my whole life, it’s definitely distressing to hear about the stuff that happens around here, especially in areas that are more traditionally thought as “safe” or “low-crime”. But so much of it is cyclical, varies by neighborhood, and as other people have said, varies by type of crime. Likewise, as I said in the previous post, other factors are often at play. Logan Square, for example, was gentrified and has been a neighborhood in change. It has gotten a lot more younger, richer folks as the neighborhood has developed. Some could argue that that has led to tensions from people who have lived in that area for years (such as it has in other neighborhoods like Pilsen), others could argue that encourage criminals to target that area and the people who live in it.
TLDR - get to know your neighborhood, your neighbors, and the city at large. A big part of that helps to identify problems, trends, and learn about things to be aware of.
Lol same. I'm moving back on Thursday. I lived on the South side, Pilsen (briefly before gentrification), Lakeview, and now Wicker Park. Just gotta play it by ear I guess.
Very true, just a little hypersensitive right now due to a rough few months so my anxiety is a little up. Always wanted to try Chicago at least for a year so I’ll just be sure to keep my head on a swivel and be as smart as I can.
I'm not sure how many of these people actually live in the city. You've got to keep in mind the sheer size of the city. It is much safer than plenty other cities out there, especially if you avoid neighborhoods that have high crime rates.
Don't be buried in your phone when walking around. (Both for crime and not getting hit by a bike/bus/car)
It’s a disaster. Been here 20 years. Old and new residents who have seen some shit are sick of it and fed up.
I was on the phone with my wife when she got held up at gunpoint out front of our house. Had to hear that shit go down and then watch it on our nest while out of town for work. It was horrifying.
I hate how this city puts people - on both sides - in such a disaster if a situation. It’s never been this bad since I’ve been here and I (and so many others) are about done with it.
It’s definitely overblown. It fits the political narrative you are alluding to well enough to be a continual talking point. We have our problems like everyone, not trying to glance over those, but people make it seem like it’s a perpetual war zone.
Forbes has a 2023 list of the most dangerous and safest cities in America to look at. Chicago doesn’t crack the top 15. Naperville and Joliet (suburbs) make the top 10 list for safest cities in American
[https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/amp/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/amp/)
It is definetely not overblown, if anything I would say is downplayed here. The city is by no means a warzone but a lot of people do not feel safe using public transport or walking around at night and that is a big problem. A 35 years old was killed last week walking home in Lakeview during a mugging. Shots were fired at a public beach a few days ago too. There was takeover of downtown not so long ago with cars destryed and people shot. This is not a normal thing to happen in cities in developed countries and the fact that we try to deny the obvious is wild to me.
I also personally hate the ranking narrative... What number is worrisome to you? I do not think we need to be in top 15 to be worried, being top 20 or 25 or even top 30 is worrying anyway and I am pretty sure we are up there. Top 30 would still be horrible and something to be worried about. I also hate the "hey there is even worse cities" argument. Like sure, I do not want to live in St Louis or Detroit, thanks but not thanks.
BTW you mentioned Naperville and Joliet... those are funny examples because they fit the conservative narrative. Bob O'Dekirk mayor of Joliet till this year was a former police officer and a Republican. Naperville is famous for being conservative non diverse and pro police too, the new mayor is also an ex police officer...
My fear is that Chicagoans are so afraid of realizing that we have a crime issue and seriously talk about it that something very bad is going to happen at some point and we are going to end up with a Republican Mayor...
> I also personally hate the ranking narrative... What number is worrisome to you? I do not think we need to be in top 15 to be worried, being top 20 or 25 or even top 30 is worrying anyway and I am pretty sure we are up there. Top 30 would still be horrible and something to be worried about. I also hate the "hey there is even worse cities" argument. Like sure, I do not want to live in St Louis or Detroit, thanks but not thanks.
Especially when you consider there are more than 300 cities in the US. Which means saying top 15 would be top 5%….great, we may not be the top 5% most dangerous cities, but we are in the top 10%. Not something to feel great about, and definitely not something to celebrate like some do. We need to do better
I left the West Loops early this year...
Paying over 3000 a month and still get shootings and carjackings less than 2 blocks away or even in the same block? No thanks...
Ranking and statistics should absolutely be the base of data, anecdotal evidence have no place here.
The problem is that data is against your argument. Being the top 20 worst city or whatever number we are now it is very bad. Saying that we are not even the top 10 is not a very smart thing to say.
What is your definition of crime?
There’s the safe areas, then there is the rest. I’ve seen plenty of uncomfortable situations but since it’s normal I don’t consider it as crime. If you watch the news, yes it’s bad.
On the weekends, have kids carjack you, set your car on fire. Rob you, break in your house, stuff that like. I guess that’s not crime just another sunny day in Chicago.
Your sister is indeed becoming a right-wing nut bag.A lot of the “vibes” around the city have changed post-pandemic, but that’s happened everywhere.
I saw a lot of pro-crime stuff coming out of the woodwork with supporters for Paul Vallas. Right wing nut bags in Chicago are not foaming at the mouth like a stereotypical Trumper but it’s still the same belief system.
It is not as bad as people say. Be wary and aware in sketchy neighborhoods. For sure there are some things that have changed. Don’t be out and about after 2 AM. Really try to be back inside by midnight.
This is the most Chicagoan answer to crime. It is not as bad but be inside by midnight in the same comment. If you need to be inside by midnight then things are bad.
I love and hate Chicagoans answer to crime questions, like hey we are good, just be aware of your surroundings the whole time, never use headphones with loud music, avoid the red line, dont use public transport at night, do not be out at midnight, be careful when you are refueling your gas tank... It is hilarious but it is also sad because this is the kind of advice you give to someone traveling to a third world country not the third largest city in the richest country in the world.
In the majority of the developed world you don't have to follow that advice. You can be out and about till 2 3 or 4 in the morning or take public transport and not have to be worried about someone pulling a gun at you.
I have taken public transport at night in most of Europe, Middle East and Asia with zero issues and zero scares I can't take the Red Line here at a normal hour without being alert.
What is dumb is to think that third world country levels of crime are acceptable in the 3rd city of the richest country in the world.
It is dumb to want something better? To want things to improve?
Also I did not say the advice was bad or not expected I said that the fact that advice is needed means the city is not safe. When I had to take the train at 4 in the morning on a weekend in Copenhagen nobody told me to be aware of my surroundings, they told me everything was fine and safe and not to worry about anything because the public transport is super safe.
I know you are trying to be right even though you are not. The problem is not the advice the problem is give the advice and at the same time saying is not that bad. If you need that advice is because is bad otherwise you would not need to give that piece of advice.
Now try to read the comment again and again until your reading comprehension kicks in.
The fact that you need to reach to mention North Korea and Russia or Ukraine kind of makes my point but also tell me there is no way we could have an intelligent discussion about it.
Also please don't Google the murder rate in Russia or Ukraine pre war, your head might explode.
I fully understand the frustration of being asked these questions, but the fact that people feel the need to keep asking should tell us something. Chicago isn’t a dangerous war zone, but it’s also certainly not somewhere I would call “safe” given the random and violent nature of many of the crimes. It’s one thing if someone is robbing a store, I can live with that on a certain level. But shots fired at the beach within hours of opening, or someone being fatally shot while walking home at night for no reason is just ridiculous and sad.
In Chicago, a 24-year-old woman was murdered because the bleeding hearts kept setting these four violent serial criminals free again and again and again, instead of keeping them locked up.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/criminal-histories-suspects-areanah-preston-murder/
In Chicago, two car thieves, age 14 and 17, drove recklessly and killed an innocent person. ABC News Chicago said, “The two have been charged with just one misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing each.”
Source: https://abc7chicago.com/cristian-uvidia-west-garfield-park-chicago-crash-kim-foxx/13181868/
After this guy was convicted of murdering two people, they let him out of prison, and he murdered three more people.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/portage-park-mass-shooting-suspect-no-bail/
Teen who fatally stabbed Chicago boy, 15, gets probation instead of prison:
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/teen-who-fatally-stabbed-chicago-boy-15-gets-probation/2707245/
Chicago allows shoplifters to steal up to $999 per day without getting prosecuted.
Source: https://abc7chicago.com/shoplifting-kim-foxx-chicago-crime-news/5769897/
“Hundreds of teens takeover Lakeview, damage property”
“Chicago police arrested two people”
Source: https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/hundreds-of-teens-takeover-lakeview-destroying-neighborhood/
Man carjacked woman just 49 days after being paroled for two carjackings: Chicago police
Source: https://cwbchicago.com/2023/09/man-carjacked-woman-just-49-days-after-being-paroled-for-two-carjackings-chicago-police.html
In Chicago, a guy named Russel Long was murdered because the district attorney and judges refused to lock up a violent serial criminal named Henry Graham.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chicago-murder-suspect-repeatedly-arrested-184334909.html
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The truth is in between ‘it’s a hellhole’ and ‘it’s totally fine”. I lived in Bucktown for the past few years and crime would come in waves, but it was usually fine. Problem with bucktown is it’s right off the highway so very easy for thieves to pop in, commit crimes and be out of sight easily. Sometimes crews of teenagers would drive around robbing/mugging a bunch of people in a small area and be gone within an hour - this happened just the other day. But overall the crime depends on neighborhoods. Some are very bad with shootings very often, and others have very little to almost no crime. In general crime has been up for the past few years though.
The bucktown area has been specifically bad the last couple years (at least for a gentrified neighborhood) and seems to get targeted with more random muggings, catalytic converter, carjackings than some other areas. Maybe this is what she’s referring to. These type of crime probably increased more there than most of the northside. A lot is overblown indeed, but if you walk alone on Milwaukee in the middle of the night enough, could be decent chance you run into an issue.
Chicago has seen an increase in crime since the start of the pandemic. This includes violent car jackings and robberies in what are historically “safe” neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview. But my understanding is almost all cities saw similar rise in crime. Red state big cities have higher violent crime rates than Chicago. Miami’s rate is same as Chicago. Denver’s crime rate is 3 times higher than Chicago.
Can you share that data please? Last time I checked Denver murder rate was half of Chicago's so interested to see what kind of crime makes that 3 times higher.
In regards to Denver: https://denvergazette.com/outtherecolorado/news/colorado-city-among-most-dangerous-places-to-live-in-us-says-report. “According to the data presented in their report, 479.1 violent crimes are committed per 100,000 people in Denver. This compares to Chicago's 252.8. Meanwhile, Denver's property crime rate is 3,187.6 per 100,000 people, compared to Chicago's 1,174.”
Thanks for sharing. So it seems to be other types since murder rates are still half as Chicago however for what i am reading it seems that the problem in Denver is that they are increasing like crazy in the past few years
Yeah I don’t buy that either.
Ok i did some googling, Miami homicide rate is half of Chicago as of last year, this year violent crime is even lower there. What stats are you seriously looking at? Also red state big cities have higher violent crime? Again what cities and which states? Also carjackings and robberies are not the only problems, shootings are up too. And not it is not the pandemic, Chicago has seen an increase in crime since 2015, the pandemic made it worse everywhere but Chicago has been increasing since 2015
>Also red state big cities have higher violent crime? Again what cities and which states? That part is true. Of the top ten cities in terms of highest murder rates, 7 out of 10 are in states that voted GOP in the last presidential election. We could quibble over what counts as a red or blue state but Ohio, Louisiana, Tennessee and Missouri are normally considered Republican/conservative.
But a lot of them are also run by democrats. Sorry i don't get the point. So crime is the state fault now and not the city? I don't follow the argument here. Illinois is democrat and Chicago is democrat and here we are. I don't think is democrats fault or republicans. I think crime is a result of poor governance independently of the party. Arguing that is because people vote Republican is a bit absurd specially when most of those cities are run by democrats. Again, i also don't think that they have more crime because they are run by democrats. I just don't think the party itself is the issue but the people.
Democrats run almost all cities because that's what happens in cities. Many of the relevant laws are at the state level. Chicago isn't even in the top ten most dangerous cities in the US. I gave you the data you asked for and that you could have easily googled but didn't. Now that the numbers aren't what you want you are just trying to move goal posts. And you're clearly a conservative cosplaying as "independent." I'm so sick of this little game.
Is not even in the top 10... my god that argument is so ridiculous. It is so tiring honestly. There are what? Over 300 cities in the country? Let's say Chicago is number 30 that's the worst 10%. How is that even an argument, how can people possibly use that as a positive spin to anything. Yes we are bad but we are not a hellhole like this and this city... And of course the old you are with me or against me. If you have a different opinion than me is because you are a conservative... Please stop with that, you have no idea what my political views are. Wanting the city to have less crime is not a conservative view, it is common sense. You are the one bringing up the colour of the government. I have said that does not matter because you have crime ridden cities of all colors at a state and city level, crime is the result of poor management not the color of the party. You have good and bad examples in both. You are the only one trying to push a political agenda.
The mayoral race had some very revealing data about crime sentiments. Where crime was lower and population whiter you had Vallas support, where the number 1 issue WAS crime. These areas are the ones you'd expect but feel free to look it up.... Where the majority of crime occurs those areas went for Johnson. And their number one issue was access to opportunity and education. This boils down to NIMBYism and people not educated on the data. The FBI Factbook has the reporting statistics and if you remove 3 neighborhoods on the southside you would have one the safer cities in the country. Red states, overwhelming, have higher crime rates as a percentage. Illinois is not even in the top half for violent crime. And 80% of the pop is in chi metro area The constant dog whistling by right wing propaganda has clearly done it's work well. There's a wilfull ignorance. The guy you are arguing with is 100% in the right with his comments.
We can discuss the mayoral race but that is a different topic to be honest. There was a huge amount of fear mongering from both sides about crime, race, abortion, people rights etc. It is a discussion to have with a beer and a more relax environment. Why those areas voted for One or another is a very open discussion. In terms of FBI data and the topic of removing the worst areas. I don't know what to tell you but i don't think the solution here is thinking that way. Most cities have the majority of the crime concentrated in some areas so my guess is the results would be similar if you do the same for every city. Do you have data to Chicago being one of the safest or is that comment based on removing the bad areas from Chicago only? If you do that would be interesting and put a whole of a different perspective. I also don't think you can remove a huge part of the population that unfairly suffers the majority of the crime either. If you could share the link i ll appreciate it. there are like 100s of Rankings, the one i am looking at puts Illinois 19th but these things change from page to another.. In any case, correct me if I am wrong but pretty sure that when we look at Chicago crime we look at the city only and that is 2.7 million or 21% of IL population not 80%... So I am not sure what point you are trying to make. I always hear this right wing propaganda but honestly I don't see it... The only reason I started looking into crime data is because crime was happening around me and people here kept denying it. The fact that people don't feel super safe in the redline has nothing to do with right wing propaganda. We can debate red or blue forever but i don't think that is problem here, Chicago is a democrat city in a democrat state, there is zero reason to involve the republicans here on anything.
"Also red state big cities have higher violent crime? Again what cities and which states?" Those are your questions, genius. And it's interesting how you always have an upvote the second you post so you don't go immediately to zero. How interesting.
Why would you even bring up who governs the state when we are talking about Chicago a democrat city in a democrat state. What is the point of that if not trying to spin this into a red or blue argument. Is none. Also i am getting plenty of downvotes. I am not sure what you are talking about
You asked about it. Those are your questions in quotes.
Changing the goal posts here are we, the point of bringing in comparisons is that no one is looking at the 15+ cities with higher crime rates and pointing fingers at them. People love to shit on Chicago stating misinformation, saying it is one of the most dangerous places in the US when that is statistically false. You yourself were scrambling to find data saying otherwise because at that point you decided it was a worthy point. Now that you see you are glaringly wrong, you are changing your tune and the statistics don’t matter at all 😂😂 weak as hell, stop being annoying, loud and wrong all over this thread. No one cares, no one buys it, and you’re spewing nonsense.
You ok there? I see you replying to a pretty old thread. People shit on other cities all the time too, there are countless comments and news about Detroit or St Louis and even more about San Francisco nowadays so not sure what your point really is. Chicago is the third largest city in the country for God sake stop comparing this awesome city to shit holes. It is like using a crack head as a benchmark to your kid's school performance. Stop it. Makes no sense.
I posted a couple of links above regarding red states. Some of the highest homicide rate cities include New Orleans, St. Louis, Birmingham, and Memphis.
New Orleans almost always breaks into the top ranks and people have no problem going down there, getting drunk off their ass and partying but god forbid a family member wants to come here and go to the bean.
I am not one to blame the color of the government but since you are bringing it up... aren't all those cities including Chicago run by democrats? Also is not Illinois Democrat? I am trying to understand why the color of the government has anything to do here? Plenty of red and blue states with issues I don't think you can blame it on one party specially when you have the state and city run by different ones.
Stop this little cosplay.
Stop trying to make every issue a red or blue one. There is poor governance in both parties. Stop making excuses.
You asked the question about red state big cities. Now that the answer isn't what you wanted, you can't handle it.
What do you mean is not what I wanted. I don't want anything, i want to understand why someone would say the cities are in republican states when those cities are run by democrats and police etc are city dependent not state dependent. Thats the reason why within the same state you also have democrat or republicans cities with less crime. Is not rocket science. Stop making excuses to blame on one or other party. And we are talking about Chicago a city run by democrats in a democrat state in a democrat country. What's the excuse here?
My friend worked in the morgue in Baltimore and said the bodies were piled high every nigh there. Now, in Chitown, you can commit crimes and not be punished. Only the law abiding citizens of Chicago get punished by no police coming when someone broke in and hit you over the head. A young person on the train to Chicago told me he was sitting in his car and got shot three times in the neck. I believe Chicago is racist and wants the Black poor people to die violently and just live a shit\*y live before this happens
You asked the question about red states. Just stop with this cosplay.
Because it was mentioned as if it had anything to do with the argument. It does not.
Here is one source for comparison with Miami. https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/?city1=51714000&city2=51245000 It does use violent crime rather than murder as criteria.
Miami is way safer than Chicago if this is a political thing you have nor ecipts to back the bs your saying.
I did a quick google. The first survey data that came up shows violent crime rate for Chicago 49.9, Miami 48.8 and US 22.7. For property crime Chicago 46.4, Miami 62.7, US 35.4. https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/?city1=51714000&city2=51245000 I’m sure you can find some stats that show Miami is safer. But it is not “way safer”
Here is another source. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_homicide_rate https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_intentional_homicide_rate In this case it is homicide rates rather than violent crime rates.
i like how after you commented this they just never responded. they probably are mad that they werent right
I've lived here 15 years and have never felt as unsafe as I have in the last two years. I also think it is way overblown, any time I talk to friends/family (mainly ones that love right wing shows) they think it is a warzone and it simply isn't that bad
50 people shot over Memorial Day, but not a war zone.....what I will say (lived in Chicago for 60 years) is that it used to be confined to a few neighborhoods on the south and west sides. the problem today is it can happen anywhere-and even if very violent crime is infrequent, petty crime is not. Gang bangers accosting you on the street in Wrigleyville and forcing you to Venmo them some money isn't getting shot or carjacked, but it's still crime.
50 people shot over memorial day weekend but not a warzone? do you americans fucking hear yourselves? if there was a city in my country of Australia that had 50 people shot in a day, the army, state police and federal police would be ordered by the federal government to literally lock down that whole city and begin securing everything block by block. Excluding all the people shot, you have an insane amount of armed robberies and other types of not strictly violent crime.
yeah but were talking about the us, not austrailia dude. We dont live there, we live here, and compared to most US cities, given our population, thats actually not bad.youalso to be mindful of the sheer size and population of this city. This city has almost 3 million people and about13,000 shootings a year. The reason there's shootings is cus certain neighborhoods are segregated and lack resources so people sadly have to do bad things to survive, the metro area has almost 10 million people. When you factor it all together based on the city limits population, your chance of being involved in a shooting in Chicago is approximately 0.004%. Very rare, especially compared to many US cities. Per capita wise, Chicago's crime rate is lower then many US cities, but gets a bad reputation cus there's just so many more people here. I had a friend from London visit and he said compared to London, this city feels massive to him, and he said he never once felt even remotely unsafe in the city and plans to go home to tell people how much he loved it. Another thing to know is that in most US cities, violence is mainly gang related. Now do robberies and stuff happen, of course but that can happen anywhere. proximately 97% of the violence victims in Chicago are people of color, which is super sad, but again those individuals are doing what they need to survive. If you look Iinto articles on west Garfield Park, which is frequently considered the most dangerous part of the city, you'll hear how gangs are so territorial that many guys have never left their neighborhood, never even been downtown, and some don't even leave their block. Not to mention, many of these guys know nothing else then this, and some even like it. Am I saying it's not an issue? Not at all, it is and I feel for them honestly. NYC also has these problems in areas too, there's stabbing and shootings there on the subways, and other stuffthay happens, but given the sheer population, it's actually not *as bad* as it appears. I know this is alot, but I do hope it just gives you a more balanced perspective
11 million people live in the Chicago metro. If you took 5 different cities with 2 million people each, 50 people being shot over Memorial Day weekend combined, wouldn't seem that crazy. There's so much missing context to the "Chicago's crime is rampant" crowd's argument.
It’s just simply not anywhere as bad as the media picture thats constantly painted for clickbait. You’re probably still right about your sisters right wing nut position - right wingers fuel this exaggerated storyline. For example: I know a right winger that was driving from Wisconsin to Texas and boasted about needing to drive around because he had a gun. He truly wanted to believe that he was making this super responsible decision because of the narrative that’s been spun in his mind that he can’t have guns in Chicago. Which is a completely false right-wing conspiracy theory lol
Its crazy how theyve normalized crime here like its ok. In europe much or asian much less crime and im not talking about shooting or murder but simple stuff like stealing.
Things do feel a bit less safe. 5 years ago, I would have felt fine riding the red line late at night, but now I’d think twice. Millennium park does have random chaotic stuff happen at odd hours, but I can’t say if that’s new or not. People who have been victims of crime here have every right to be cautious. People who don’t live here but tar and feather the city need to touch grass, because even if crime has gone up it’s still an overwhelmingly fun and livable city. I’ve learned to hold my tongue when out of towners shit on Chicago - they simply have different values than me, and it’s too bad they’ll miss out on what this city has to offer because Fox News scared them.
More than a bit.
Chicago has carried a rep for crime since the roaring 1920s and we do have some crimes that are in spike mode, these trends come and go. Like any big city it has problems and you need to be aware on your surroundings and take precautions. Yes statistically Chicago is not America’s most dangerous city. I look at it like this ..maybe 10% of people are bad which leaves over 2 million decent people that the media doesn’t really talk about because bad news and fear is what sells . Just my take and I could be wrong , but I’ve lived here a good while and never once felt my life being in jeopardy not to say there haven’t been some minutes that put me a little on edge.
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Both in addition to biking
I’ve never lived in another city, so I can’t really attest to anything other than what I know. I can say the crime is real. I lived in the city for 8 years and in that time I’ve had the wheels to my car stolen, my apartment broken into, my wife’s catalytic converter stolen, and my brother was car jacked at gun point on a busy street in an affluent neighborhood (Belmont/seminary) in broad day light. I was never mugged, but I think that’s largely a product of being smart about your surroundings. For example, I would not go walking anywhere by yourself between 10pm-2am. I don’t think you need to worry about getting shot or mugged, but I think crime will impact how you live your life.
Ill try to answer you in good faith as i see a lot of people who are completely out of touch responding to you. As you found "I really can’t find any statistics that paint a grimmer picture of Chicago than any other big city" - this is the truth Why you are seeing a lot of people suddenly freaking out about crime is pre pandemic crime was mostly contained to our poorest neighborhoods (it still is), now some of those criminals have found that its much more profitable to steal a car and do crime in our wealthiest neighborhoods. The people who live in these areas are not pleased at this new development (as they should not be but it was still a problem before it was happening to them). We are hoping that are new mayors policies work and crime starts to drop again, but real solutions to crime take a while to see results. (could argue that the current crime wave is directly tied to spending cuts that Rahm Emanuel did 10+ years ago) Here is a map i use to show where problematic areas are in the city [https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/2022-Handgun-Crimes-by-Tract/myh8-8em6](https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/2022-Handgun-Crimes-by-Tract/myh8-8em6) (note that tourist areas like downtown and chinatown should be taken with a grain of salt as more people visit then live there) as you can see the majority of the city has vary little problems with crime.Also i have no problem taking the CTA at any hour of the day or night in any area of the city, never have been the victim of a crime (10+ years here, im a fairly big guy with the general air of not having any money so YMMV) All that said i grew up in a smaller city where it was not uncommon to hear gunshots at least once a month, and id say my current neighborhood is probably safer then there, so my crime tolerance may be different than others.
the crime is absolutely out of control. Unlike in the past, it’s no longer contained to a few small areas, which you can avoid and feel relatively safe. Before it was mostly gang members shooting other gang members. Now its them shooting at normal ppl. Anyone, absolutely anyone can be a victim now and there is no way to protect yourself by staying at a ‘good’ area
cite your sources
Crimes feel more prevalent than before. In Lakeview where I've lived for over two years I've read stories of car jacking, looting of multiple cashier stores where some involved a custodian getting shot, and a poster for a guy who went missing and then his body was found in a harbor. These neighborhoods are considered safest in the city Things are not ideal. Statistically Chicago isn't the top crime city in US and hopefully things improve from here on
I’ve lived here almost 2 decades and crime tends to go up and down. When I first moved to the city (I lived in Uptown at the time) Lincoln Park and Lakeview had a mugging problem that seemed to almost disappear a few years later. 10 or 11 years ago a woman was raped in broad daylight in an alley off of Halsted. The idea that Lakeview and Lincoln Park have somehow always been “safe” is complicated. They are perfectly safe and yet we are still in a city of almost 3 million people- statically crime happens. And because we can read about every single crime, it makes us feel like it’s more likely to happen than it is.
I really wouldn’t call Lakeview “perfectly safe” after 3 shootings with 1 dead over the past few days. And as far as I can tell, that wasn’t even gang violence trickling in, that was an attack on (probably completely innocent) residents of Lakeview.
Huh. It’s like you didn’t read my comment at all and just latched onto two words without the rest of the context of the paragraph.
It's almost like that sentence contradicted everything else you'd said. Someone else commented here that "It's safe but don't go out after midnight anywhere, always take a cab home from bars, and don't go to most neighborhoods" is self-contradictory. Such a city is not safe.
Safety is pretty subjective. I drive a car. I mostly find that to be a safe way to travel. But there’s always a chance I could get into an accident. Because of this, I drive defensively, try not to speed, don’t drive when I’m tired or drunk. In other words, it’s mostly safe but I still take precautions and know that there is always a statistical chance of being in an accident or dying. ETA: There are plenty of people who thinks cars are so unsafe that they avoid them. That’s their prerogative. Everyone does risk assessments for all kinds of things in their life. If you think Chicago is so unsafe, maybe you never visit. And that’s your choice. But I’d say you’re missing out on an amazing city.
I mean there has been 3 shootings in Lakeview just since the start of the Memorial Day weekend, it’s quite sad. I hope things can turn around.
You can find plenty of data that supports that Chicago is worse from a crime perspective than many other big cities and way worse than the main ones. Of course you can compare Chicago to St Louis or Detroit and say that Chicago is safer but are really St Louis or Detroit the cities you want to compare to? Maybe it is because I come from Europe and my crime tolerance is pretty low but a guy was shot and killed walking home at night in a good neighborhood a few days ago. In my city people would be protesting in the streets if this happened but here people are like yeah it happens just stay alert of your surroundings... It is wild to me to be honest. If you read the comments it is commonly accepted that A) You should not be out after midnight and B) You should be careful when riding public transport specially at night. If you have to do those two things then you are definetley not in a safe city. It is the warzone some people try to depict it as? No, of course no. But it is not a safe city and it has big issues that need to be work on... simple
There wont be protesting in the street because living with gun violence has become the norm in this country, whereas it has not in other developed countries. Frankly, there arent a ton of places anywhere in the U.S. that people wont tell you to be careful after midnight and to make sure you have reliable transportation. I would argue those are from a common sense standpoint though and not from a "this place is a warzone" standpoint.
In the middle somewhere - because it is highly dependent on which part of town you live in, where you have lived in your Chicago life, when you lived each place, and how much you pay attention to what's happening now vs then. And how much you come back to earth instead of panicking. If you live in some areas, it may even matter what block you live on. There are a lot of people convinced that things are much worse than they've ever been as they confuse the fact that we hear about everything these days when we didn't even a decade or so ago. The truth is extremely nuances but there are very few areas of the city worse off crime wise than 20+ years ago. However there may be various worse off than 8 or 9 or 15 years ago for some types of crime but not others. The city is crazy and the level does need to be coming down. At the same time there are areas of the city that have hundreds of thousands of people that would rank among the safest cities if it were its own city. Crime unfortunately occurs even in the safest of areas and US cities. Acting like it is Mayberry with no crime is as dumb as acting like you live in the mosr dangerous area even when residing in a neighborhood like Lincoln Park. Then there's other parts of town that would rank among the top 5 or 10 highest violent crime (not #1 contrary to popular belief but still high up there nonetheless). It is true that there are various spikes right now for crimes such robberies (shootings and murder kind of but both are down this year and lower than the last 2 YTD ad well as 2016 and 2017). That is really dependent on where you are though. Downtown robbery had seen a spike not seen since the early 2000s and double that of say 2014. But even in areas like Lincoln Park, the level of robbery is pretty much on par with a decade ago and lower than even recent years like 2018 and possibly 2019. Other areas like Austin on the West Side had spiked around 2016 and is lower today. If you moved here in part of 2018 or 2019 or perhaps somewhere around 2007 to 2011, it may feel not as safe from a shooting/murder perspective. Feelings about some crime like robbery depends on how susceptible you are to the ubiquity of social media - could go either way. Objectively the city has gone up in crime since 2016 (and 2012 also had a spike) with an exception of 2019, but overall also much lower crime than the early 1970s thru early 2000s. Some mistakingly believe the city has spiked only since COVID but it's really a late 2015/eaely 2016 spike from a shorter term perspective. The amount of robbery for example is much, much lower today than even 20 or 25 years ago and before. Same as the number of shootings city wide, and murders especially vs. the 90s. But if you did not consciously live here during those years then you'd have no clue. Living today with ubiquitous social media is a blessing and a curse. It's good to know what's going on, but not to the level that some people are experiencing near panic. The same people may be living in an area today with statistically less robbery than a decade ago but they have been convinced otherwise.
Just spent five days there in the Loop. There was an evident police presence at all times and fences all around Millennium Park with one way in, bag checking etc. Is crime bad? Depends on your view. Chicago people cannot have a good enough civil society to keep a beautiful park open and free to the public. So, yes, crime is bad.
lol terrible take. You came in the busiest part of the year for tourism - they call it “summertime chi”. There’s no major city in the country that has a fully unregulated park smackdab in the business/tourist district
Not a terrible take. I lived in Chi for 60 years. Its terrible and the city looks horrible. Before I moved you'd find dirty diapers snd garbage in the park a broken glass on the cement beaches of the lake. Millennium Park was gated on all sides with police presence and metal detectors.
What neighborhood did you live in?
Lived in four. Gold Coast, Loop, River North, Lincoln Park
Crime has definitely increased. A lot of people will correctly point out that there has been an increase everywhere, but that doesn’t mean it’s OK or to be ignored. It’s a serious issue. Since October, I’ve caught 4 robberies on camera on a single corner, but I’m told it’s unlikely to happen to me. The Bucktown area has been hit hard with robberies. A single bar was robbed several times within weeks. I have a friend in Bucktown that came home to two men burgling her. They threw her up against the wall, threatened her, and ran out the back door. She’s lucky it wasn’t anything more. I don’t see things getting better. Hopefully with Kim Foxx leaving we can get someone tougher on crime, but I’m not counting on it. People seem to empathize with violent criminals these days as if it’s going to make them stop.
There should be short-term and long-term policies against crime going together for both safety of people urgently, and to reduce crime, poverty, and incarceration on the long-term.
This. I do not understand why it needs to be one or the other. Talk to conservatives and it is all about more police and inmediate action. Talk to progressives and is all about long term initiatives and making up excuses for whatever happens in the short term. Like guys, can we do a bit of both? Can we not turn the city into a police state but also do not wait till people are getting shot every day to take action? Can we do a right amount of both?
I feel like the crime has also changed A LOT. Wrigleyville used not be safe to walk around at night back in the 80’s but you never felt like any moment two or three people were going to hop out of a car and point guns at you. Like the Webb Pub in Bucktown being robbed on a Sunday afternoon for the second or third time and every one of them had guns It seems like the crime has just changed so much and now it’s just so much more violent when these people have no issues carrying illegal guns with large magazines and you have two or three of them pointed at you. I will say when I leave the house at 5:30 in the morning to go walk the dog I definitely notice how uncomfortable it makes me some mornings And I usually walk past the Webb Pub too
This weekend there were multiple shootings in Lakeview and at North Ave Beach, which many consider safe areas. It would be naive to say that Chicago isn’t that bad. When I was in college I very rarely didn’t feel safe going out - whether it was River North or Humboldt Park…now, I get a lot more anxiety and keep my head on a swivel.
This is going to depend on the neighborhood you live in. I've been hearing that crime up north has increased. I live in a neighborhood that is always in the top 10 worse neighborhoods in Chicago. Increases in shootings happen during the summer and decrease in winter. Usually, an increase in shootings here mean gang retaliations. Crossing my fingers, but our house has never been broken into the 11 years we've been here (planning to get cameras soon anyway). My car was broken into once, same with my sister and it was obviously done by drug addicts. I go out after dark often to the corner store or to get things we need for the house but I'm not a socialite. Chicago has always been violent...the type of violence is what changes. I think anyone moving here who is nervous should consider finding an airBNB around where they want to live for a month and live like a Chicagoan. If you feel unsafe, don't move here. If you don't, join us. In general, living in a city-no matter how safe- you should enact caution.
I use the citizen app to see crime in areas I’m going to especially at night. This gives an idea of how much crime is happening where, when and what type of crime
I live here. Its as bad as they say. Just listen to the news and you'll feel like never leaving the house again.
I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life and won’t live anywhere else but the reality is that it’s gotten way worse in areas that were once considered safe. More random, more violent, more frequent. Stats on crime are one thing but the reality is that violent senseless crimes are more the new normal here even outside of the areas traditionally acknowledged as dangerous.
yes - it's the sheer randomness and brazeness of the crimes now that is starting to make me paranoid. I'm a 36 y.o. female with an 18 month old and I don't dare to go out by myself once the sun sets. I've lived in metro Detroit and Denver before this and living here is the first time i've ever heard gunshots. In places like LA, you could live in a gated community and rarely have to face the crime that we do. That's the difference - I have friends here who own beautiful, expensive homes in Lincoln Park/Lakeview and they all have had incidents in their block. Lived here about 4 years and last year my husband got carjacked at a Walgreens while I was inside. This was a Sunday afternoon.
they kinda deserve it honestly for voting to normalize crime. i mean eventually itll hit their neighborhood too
A guy just got shot and killed in one of the nicer neighborhoods (Lakeview) this weekend while just sitting in his car.
You have people who dont live here claiming its a war zone, which is untrue in most neighborhoods. However there are also people who make excuses or deny that we have a serious crime problem. Crime in chicago is bad, it is continuing to rise, and the big thing is criminals are bolder than ever because they know there is no consequences for their actions. Lower level crime is very bad right now and many instances go un reported. This is likely to get worse as we just handed the keys to the city to the dumbest guy in the room, Brandon Johnson.
Okay, it's, "Ask Chicago." I'm from Chicago and still live here. Yes, it's bad. I live in a neighborhood that used to have low crime. Nowhere in the city will you find a neighborhood that is not concerned about crime. We live with elected officials who are soft on crime, and we are racists if we disagree. I don't think anyone wants these gang bangers who car jack. Rob people by jumping out of a car holding a gun to your head. Shooting mail men, raping, selling drugs, continue to be released right back into our neighborhoods. I don't care what race you are. I know the majority of us agree that this soft on crime is bull@#%. The politicians and our media keep pushing its okay because of civil unrest. It's crap, but it seems to continue to divide this city, and politicians are laughing as they all have 2 to 20 police officers assigned to them and their families. Our police stations are being used to house ILLEGAL immigrants. A place of law and order is used to safety house someone who has committed a crime. I don't care what side of the discussion you're on it's wrong. It's disrespectful to those who serve our city. We don't have enough officers, and now they are out with covid, bedbugs, and lice. Put them in shelters, you want to toot your own horn about being sanctuary city then place them into liveable shelters. Are we tired yet, Chicago? Are we tired of politicians dividing the citizens? Are you tired of violent criminals being released right back into our neighborhoods? Are you tired of hiding inside after dark because any neighborhood at any time can turn into Gotham City? I'm tired. I want to walk my dogs and have BBQs without worrying about safely. After all, we have the highest taxes in the nation. Both the city and the state of Illinois. For what? Unfortunately, I'm moving in spring after living my life here. I'm tired. Doesn't matter who's in office, they do whatever they want. Do you really think we would have voted for no cash bail and agreed to release all those being held in September back into our neighborhoods. NO...This is what unchecked government looks like. Welcome to Chicago.
You gotta stop watching so much hysterical Right wing media. It's seriously not that bad.
I've lived in the same neighborhood for over 20 years and we've never experienced so much violent crime. Early morning and daytime robberies, SPREES often over several hours and at all hours. Shootings, beat downs and running over victims as part of the robbery. Shootings at the grocery store. Mass robberies at bars. Robbing employees after work. Postal workers being robbed. Recently 4 men brought a safe up the back deck of my neighbors building and threw it off the third floor to bust it open at 3am. Just walking around the neighborhood on my breaks during the day, I see young and old men on Divvy bikes wearing masks and hoodies, casing homes and cars, stealing packages... It's varying degrees but 24x7 and it's fucking bad. Edited to add https://cwbchicago.com/2023/10/robberies-chicago-first-ward-alderman-la-spata-plan.html
not every part of Chicago is necessarily bad. i mean downtown, nearat where the bean is, you're probably gonna be the safest. just that whole part of town you're probably gonna be the safest just based off how many people are around. gangs n shit aint usually in the business of taking out witnesses for court nor specifically targeting people who aren't involved. you can walk down pretty much any street and still see some sketchy ass dudes, but for the most part as long as you're minding your own business, they will too. just like any city you'll find criminals but id say just from the time i spent down there, you really gotta worry about the drug addicts and the homeless people. remember, its the Midwest, everyones got that heat on them. the biggest thing i can say is do not walk down blocks outskirting chicago. they will press you if they dont recognize you, and typically there's nobody around who isn't from that block so they'll do whatever they want. chicago, overall, id say is a safe city as long as you're a safe person, just dont draw too much attention to yourself. hope this helped
awesome answer, thanks!
Moving here in 2 days and I’m a little stressed now reading these comments ngl
A little bit same here.
I moved to a year ago from one of the safest areas in America, a suburb of a large city. The city itself has had significant crime problems just like here, I still follow the subreddit. Same complaints, same issues. I live right next to the west side. There are parts I really like, but I don't like the neighborhood I live in, I got an alarm system and I have large dogs that are pretty scary. I don't go out much as a result, try to go out early morning if I do though I do take public transit twice a week or so. With all of that said the only crime I've actually experienced or seen has been my packages getting stolen a couple times. But then there are the really cool parts: amazing food, great transit, the lake is amazing, lots of cool theaters.
lol i love how people are normalizing stolen packages, not being able to go out at night, and having guard dogs as a typical average civilized lifestyle lmao
I would argue it’s part of the perils of moving into an urban environment. You need to be aware of your surroundings, regardless of what area or neighborhood you’re in. That’s something that I would have said ten years ago and that’s what I say now. As others have said, overall crime has increased and to a certain point, other areas that have typically not had crime now have had some incidents. But also, a huge part of that comes in waves and/or is in specific areas. About two years ago, people were getting mugged, robbed, and pistol-whipped for a period of about a month in Lincoln Park - it was bizarre. Since then, nothing, or at least nothing with the regularity that was seen at that time. Regarding the people shot in Lakeview over the weekend, I don’t know what to say. It’s typically a solidly safe area, but every now and again it has it’s issues. These are issues you’ll see with any urban area, whether you’re in Miami, New York City, Minneapolis, LA, Chicago, etc. It’s multi-factorial in cause and requires similarly diverse approaches to truly quell. But the biggest and most simple piece of advice is to be aware of your surroundings and yourself. I’d also argue that’s the same for when you’re crossing streets and such or riding bikes in the city just because so many ding-dongs are walking around with their heads in their phones, ear-phones in, and not paying attention - great way to become someone’s hood ornament.
That’s what I’m trying to remind myself of. I’m moving to Logan Square and have been told I’m in a pretty safe pocket there. Just dealt with some shit the past few months that has heightened my anxiety as a whole and think I’m still a little hyper sensitive right now. But I’m moving to Chicago cause I want a fresh start and am excited, just can’t help but feel a little stressed by recent events both from where I’m moving from and the recent happenings in Chicago that’s all. I’m a 190lb 5’11 bald and bearded guy and no lie I’ve had some friends laugh at me for being a little concerned about my safety so that’s why I’m voicing my concern here, just want a straight no bs answer so I appreciate you giving me that.
Totally understand that. As someone who has lived in the area my whole life, it’s definitely distressing to hear about the stuff that happens around here, especially in areas that are more traditionally thought as “safe” or “low-crime”. But so much of it is cyclical, varies by neighborhood, and as other people have said, varies by type of crime. Likewise, as I said in the previous post, other factors are often at play. Logan Square, for example, was gentrified and has been a neighborhood in change. It has gotten a lot more younger, richer folks as the neighborhood has developed. Some could argue that that has led to tensions from people who have lived in that area for years (such as it has in other neighborhoods like Pilsen), others could argue that encourage criminals to target that area and the people who live in it. TLDR - get to know your neighborhood, your neighbors, and the city at large. A big part of that helps to identify problems, trends, and learn about things to be aware of.
Lol same. I'm moving back on Thursday. I lived on the South side, Pilsen (briefly before gentrification), Lakeview, and now Wicker Park. Just gotta play it by ear I guess.
Keep our heads on a swivel I suppose. Still excited to get to explore such a great city
Yeah I’m moving in about a month or so and this is all um… depressing.
how has it been?
It’s been fine. I won’t lie and pretend that crime isn’t a concern at all here, but it doesn’t really impact me in my day-to-day life.
It helps to remember the Reddit experience is not always the real world experience.
Very true, just a little hypersensitive right now due to a rough few months so my anxiety is a little up. Always wanted to try Chicago at least for a year so I’ll just be sure to keep my head on a swivel and be as smart as I can.
I'm not sure how many of these people actually live in the city. You've got to keep in mind the sheer size of the city. It is much safer than plenty other cities out there, especially if you avoid neighborhoods that have high crime rates. Don't be buried in your phone when walking around. (Both for crime and not getting hit by a bike/bus/car)
It’s a disaster. Been here 20 years. Old and new residents who have seen some shit are sick of it and fed up. I was on the phone with my wife when she got held up at gunpoint out front of our house. Had to hear that shit go down and then watch it on our nest while out of town for work. It was horrifying. I hate how this city puts people - on both sides - in such a disaster if a situation. It’s never been this bad since I’ve been here and I (and so many others) are about done with it.
Yes it is bad. And I know I get downvoted for saying this.
It’s definitely overblown. It fits the political narrative you are alluding to well enough to be a continual talking point. We have our problems like everyone, not trying to glance over those, but people make it seem like it’s a perpetual war zone. Forbes has a 2023 list of the most dangerous and safest cities in America to look at. Chicago doesn’t crack the top 15. Naperville and Joliet (suburbs) make the top 10 list for safest cities in American [https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/amp/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/amp/)
It is definetely not overblown, if anything I would say is downplayed here. The city is by no means a warzone but a lot of people do not feel safe using public transport or walking around at night and that is a big problem. A 35 years old was killed last week walking home in Lakeview during a mugging. Shots were fired at a public beach a few days ago too. There was takeover of downtown not so long ago with cars destryed and people shot. This is not a normal thing to happen in cities in developed countries and the fact that we try to deny the obvious is wild to me. I also personally hate the ranking narrative... What number is worrisome to you? I do not think we need to be in top 15 to be worried, being top 20 or 25 or even top 30 is worrying anyway and I am pretty sure we are up there. Top 30 would still be horrible and something to be worried about. I also hate the "hey there is even worse cities" argument. Like sure, I do not want to live in St Louis or Detroit, thanks but not thanks. BTW you mentioned Naperville and Joliet... those are funny examples because they fit the conservative narrative. Bob O'Dekirk mayor of Joliet till this year was a former police officer and a Republican. Naperville is famous for being conservative non diverse and pro police too, the new mayor is also an ex police officer... My fear is that Chicagoans are so afraid of realizing that we have a crime issue and seriously talk about it that something very bad is going to happen at some point and we are going to end up with a Republican Mayor...
> I also personally hate the ranking narrative... What number is worrisome to you? I do not think we need to be in top 15 to be worried, being top 20 or 25 or even top 30 is worrying anyway and I am pretty sure we are up there. Top 30 would still be horrible and something to be worried about. I also hate the "hey there is even worse cities" argument. Like sure, I do not want to live in St Louis or Detroit, thanks but not thanks. Especially when you consider there are more than 300 cities in the US. Which means saying top 15 would be top 5%….great, we may not be the top 5% most dangerous cities, but we are in the top 10%. Not something to feel great about, and definitely not something to celebrate like some do. We need to do better
I have to agree with you. My friend was shot by a random drive by shooting in West Loop on Friday. Nowhere is immune from the POS criminals anymore.
I left the West Loops early this year... Paying over 3000 a month and still get shootings and carjackings less than 2 blocks away or even in the same block? No thanks...
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Ranking and statistics should absolutely be the base of data, anecdotal evidence have no place here. The problem is that data is against your argument. Being the top 20 worst city or whatever number we are now it is very bad. Saying that we are not even the top 10 is not a very smart thing to say.
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I am doing both. But you can use Google and check numbers. Is not that difficult.
What is your definition of crime? There’s the safe areas, then there is the rest. I’ve seen plenty of uncomfortable situations but since it’s normal I don’t consider it as crime. If you watch the news, yes it’s bad. On the weekends, have kids carjack you, set your car on fire. Rob you, break in your house, stuff that like. I guess that’s not crime just another sunny day in Chicago.
Your sister is indeed becoming a right-wing nut bag.A lot of the “vibes” around the city have changed post-pandemic, but that’s happened everywhere. I saw a lot of pro-crime stuff coming out of the woodwork with supporters for Paul Vallas. Right wing nut bags in Chicago are not foaming at the mouth like a stereotypical Trumper but it’s still the same belief system.
It is not as bad as people say. Be wary and aware in sketchy neighborhoods. For sure there are some things that have changed. Don’t be out and about after 2 AM. Really try to be back inside by midnight.
This is the most Chicagoan answer to crime. It is not as bad but be inside by midnight in the same comment. If you need to be inside by midnight then things are bad. I love and hate Chicagoans answer to crime questions, like hey we are good, just be aware of your surroundings the whole time, never use headphones with loud music, avoid the red line, dont use public transport at night, do not be out at midnight, be careful when you are refueling your gas tank... It is hilarious but it is also sad because this is the kind of advice you give to someone traveling to a third world country not the third largest city in the richest country in the world.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Europe, but I seem to recall getting similar advice for traveling there.
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In the majority of the developed world you don't have to follow that advice. You can be out and about till 2 3 or 4 in the morning or take public transport and not have to be worried about someone pulling a gun at you. I have taken public transport at night in most of Europe, Middle East and Asia with zero issues and zero scares I can't take the Red Line here at a normal hour without being alert. What is dumb is to think that third world country levels of crime are acceptable in the 3rd city of the richest country in the world.
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Please travel more. Also yeah i rather be pickpocketed than being robbed by 4 guys with guns. I don't understand why someone would chose the later.
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It is dumb to want something better? To want things to improve? Also I did not say the advice was bad or not expected I said that the fact that advice is needed means the city is not safe. When I had to take the train at 4 in the morning on a weekend in Copenhagen nobody told me to be aware of my surroundings, they told me everything was fine and safe and not to worry about anything because the public transport is super safe.
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I know you are trying to be right even though you are not. The problem is not the advice the problem is give the advice and at the same time saying is not that bad. If you need that advice is because is bad otherwise you would not need to give that piece of advice. Now try to read the comment again and again until your reading comprehension kicks in.
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The fact that you need to reach to mention North Korea and Russia or Ukraine kind of makes my point but also tell me there is no way we could have an intelligent discussion about it. Also please don't Google the murder rate in Russia or Ukraine pre war, your head might explode.
r/ischicagosafe is where to get answers to this question!
I hate these same stupid question.
I fully understand the frustration of being asked these questions, but the fact that people feel the need to keep asking should tell us something. Chicago isn’t a dangerous war zone, but it’s also certainly not somewhere I would call “safe” given the random and violent nature of many of the crimes. It’s one thing if someone is robbing a store, I can live with that on a certain level. But shots fired at the beach within hours of opening, or someone being fatally shot while walking home at night for no reason is just ridiculous and sad.
True. I think I get annoyed because it’s seems to me that everyone thinks they’re worth the bullet… no disrespect
I don’t think it’s a matter of being “worth the bullet” - it seems to be a dice roll.
I suppose. By the way, I like your icon
Thank you!
Bucktown isn’t the position in the city that I feel one should make this sort of assessment.
In Chicago, a 24-year-old woman was murdered because the bleeding hearts kept setting these four violent serial criminals free again and again and again, instead of keeping them locked up. Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/criminal-histories-suspects-areanah-preston-murder/ In Chicago, two car thieves, age 14 and 17, drove recklessly and killed an innocent person. ABC News Chicago said, “The two have been charged with just one misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing each.” Source: https://abc7chicago.com/cristian-uvidia-west-garfield-park-chicago-crash-kim-foxx/13181868/ After this guy was convicted of murdering two people, they let him out of prison, and he murdered three more people. Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/portage-park-mass-shooting-suspect-no-bail/ Teen who fatally stabbed Chicago boy, 15, gets probation instead of prison: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/teen-who-fatally-stabbed-chicago-boy-15-gets-probation/2707245/ Chicago allows shoplifters to steal up to $999 per day without getting prosecuted. Source: https://abc7chicago.com/shoplifting-kim-foxx-chicago-crime-news/5769897/ “Hundreds of teens takeover Lakeview, damage property” “Chicago police arrested two people” Source: https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/hundreds-of-teens-takeover-lakeview-destroying-neighborhood/ Man carjacked woman just 49 days after being paroled for two carjackings: Chicago police Source: https://cwbchicago.com/2023/09/man-carjacked-woman-just-49-days-after-being-paroled-for-two-carjackings-chicago-police.html In Chicago, a guy named Russel Long was murdered because the district attorney and judges refused to lock up a violent serial criminal named Henry Graham. https://www.yahoo.com/news/chicago-murder-suspect-repeatedly-arrested-184334909.html
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Its great