Inside Story Americas: Why Is Chicago's Murder Rate Soaring?

August 21, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

For years, the murder rate in Chicago had been decreasing but this year has been different. Through the end of July, the number of murders in the United States' third largest city was more than 25 per cent higher than it was during that same time period in 2011. After a stray bullet killed seven-year-old Heaven Sutton outside her home, Chicago's mayor pointed to the city's gangs as the root of the problem. But community organizers say the rise in murders is a result of failed urban policies. They argue that a systemic change is needed and not just a police crackdown.

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Crime in Chicago

Crime in Chicago has been tracked by the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Records since the beginning of the 20th century. Explore this topic

Chicago Police Department

The Chicago Police Department, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the second largest local law enforcement agency in the United States behind the New York City Police Departm... Explore this topic

Law enforcement in the United States

Law enforcement in the United States is one of three major components of the criminal justice system of the United States, along with courts and corrections. Although there exists an inherent interrelatedness between the different groups that make up the criminal justice syste... Explore this topic

Chicago

शिकागो अमरीका के इलिनाय प्रांत का पश्चिम-मध्य में सबसे बड़ा शहर है तीन मिलियन आबादी वाला यह शहर अमरीका का तीसरा सबसे बड़ी आबादी वाला शहर है। मिशिगन झील के दक्षिणी नोंक पर स्थित शिकागो विश्व का सबसे बड़ा रेलवे जंक्शन है। यहाँ तीस से भी अधिक रेलमार्ग मिलते हैं। मिशिगन झील पर स्थ... Explore this topic

Crime statistics

Crime statistics attempt to provide statistical measures of the crime in societies. Given that crime is usually secretive by nature, measurements of it are likely to be inaccurate. Several methods for measuring crime exist, including household surveys, hospital or insurance re... Explore this topic

Murder

Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide. As the loss of a human being inflicts enormous grief upon the individuals close to the victim, and the commi... Explore this topic

Gang violence

No description provided Explore this topic

Poverty in the United States

In November 2012 the U.S. Census Bureau said more than 16% of the population lived in poverty in the United States, including almost 20% of American children, up from 14.3% in 2009 and to its highest level since 1993. In 2008, 13.2% Americans lived in poverty. In 2011, Extreme... Explore this topic

Community organizing

Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community building, community organizers generally assume that social change ... Explore this topic

Rahm Emanuel

Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician who has served as the 55th Mayor of Chicago since 2011. He is Chicago's first Jewish mayor. Emanuel previously served as the White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2010, a Member of the United States Hous... Explore this topic

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Crime in Chicago

Chicago Police Department

Law enforcement in the United States

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