Chicago Murder Rate Spikes; Less Aggressive Policing Blamed

Escalante
Interim Chicago Police Superintendent John Escalante speaks at a news conference Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Chicago. Escalante said a Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder, after police say he helped lure a 9-year-old boy into an alley with a juice box late last year and then shot him in the head because of his father's gang ties. Dwright Boone-Doty was charged Monday night in the Nov. 2 death of Tyshawn Lee. Teresa Crawford / AP
Escalante
Interim Chicago Police Superintendent John Escalante speaks at a news conference Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Chicago. Escalante said a Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder, after police say he helped lure a 9-year-old boy into an alley with a juice box late last year and then shot him in the head because of his father's gang ties. Dwright Boone-Doty was charged Monday night in the Nov. 2 death of Tyshawn Lee. Teresa Crawford / AP

Chicago Murder Rate Spikes; Less Aggressive Policing Blamed

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More than 100 people have already been murdered in Chicago this year — that’s double the number of homicides in the city in the first two months of last year.

Some cops on the street suggest that police officers aren’t making as many stops and arrests for fear of starring in the next viral video.

If so, that’s one of the big challenges facing the next police superintendent for the nation’s third largest city.

Other challenges to the job beside the increase in violent crime include extremely poor police-community relations, a federal civil rights investigation into police patterns and practices and a city budget crunch.

The job seems so tough, it might be why the Chicago Police Board is taking additional time to search for the three-top candidates to recommend to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

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