Chicago in the last few months without question is a city that’s desperately searching for answers. After being hit with a world-altering pandemic, it has suddenly come to grips with the reality of another killer that just keeps creeping along and is just now finally being noticed. A gang war right in the midst of all the virus agony. After a record-setting May which saw the worst violence in sixty years, comes the June numbers that zoomed past those of May. Over 90 souls murdered and another 556 wounded, the victim list included a 1-year-old child, two 3-year-olds, a 10-year-old, and scores of teenagers.

Imagine a city in which 3 people a day are murdered and over 18 are shot on a daily basis and not being in a war zone? It’s a proven fact that Chicago’s City leaders have no clue what to do about it, except to look for either a scapegoat or haul out the usual excuses in an effort to deflect blame.  As you can see by the lead photo a scapegoat may have appeared out of the “BLUE.”

While the shootings and killings escalated at an alarming rate, police activity plummeted. Arrests for June were down 55%, street stops were down 74% and traffic stops dropped by 86%. All three of those play a vital role in fighting street crime. It kind of reminded me of the decline in activity from 2015 when the city released the video of the LaQuan McDonald shooting and then-Mayor Emanuel accused the Chicago cops of going fetal after a serious decline of police activity. Of course one has to remember that cops are human beings and after observing several high profile police-involved incidents Fraternal Order of Police President John Cantanzar says, “it’s going to cause officers to pause and say I want to go home today safe. I want to make sure I keep my job. And I want to make sure that I don’t go to jail. It’s not going to react first unless it’s a life and death situation. They’re going to stop and think first before they act.”

Chicago’s cops without question have reached a rock bottom when it comes to morale, they have a very deep distrust of the Mayor. After all, would you trust someone who is your leader who openly states that officers should be fired for petty offenses that should be handled by the supervisors? One incident involved a frustrated veteran cop who after being involved in rioting and burning of police cars gave the finger to a rioter that was caught on camera. She immediately called for his firing, this after she herself told the President of the United States “FUCK YOU.” Leadership is a foreign concept, meaning I can be frustrated but you’ll be fired for it.

Every cop in the city also saw her hold a press conference with the  Congressman Bobby Rush former Defense Chairman of the Black Panther Party, accusing cops of using his office to relax while the city was being looted. When in fact they were assigned there by a superior officer and the looting was hours behind them at 6 a.m. Those officers were on duty at that time for over 18 hours and yet the Mayor didn’t even bother to gather the facts before she made derogatory comments and actually wanted to have the cops charged with BURGLARY for being in Rush’s office. Add to that a few days ago the beleaguered  States Attorney Kim Foxx decided that demonstrators arrested for curfew violations during the rioting and any other offenses due to demonstrating not be prosecuted because over 70 percent were minorities. The question is does race or skin color absolve one from resisting arrest, fighting with the police, looting, and burning police cars?

Whatever is happening with Chicago’s cops whether they are intentionally slowing down or is the distrust so wide, the breach cannot be mended under the current leadership only time will but as one can clearly see Chicago’s violence is out of control and anyone who thinks it’s the fault of the police is clearly under the influence of politicians trying to cover their own asses and are clueless. More and more will die for sure.  The 4th of July is coming fast which is usually a horrific blood bath and already the city has announced that the Chicago cops from now until further notice will have only one day off a week. That will put an additional 1,200 officers on the street. Gee! here we thought the Mayor said Chicago is not going to arrest its way out of its violence problem. I wonder what those additional cops will be doing? Scolding comes to mind. Chicago’s street gangs have found exactly what they want. Terrified, confused leadership, both Citywide and in the failed Criminal Justice System in Cook County.