NY TImes Discovers Crime

Shocking discovery - murders happen in primarily minority neighborhoods!

• CHICAGO — This city’s 471st homicide of 2012 happened in the middle of the day, in the middle of a crowd, on the steps of the church where the victim of homicide 463 was being eulogized. Sherman Miller, who was 21, collapsed amid gunfire not far from the idling hearse that was there to carry away James Holman, 32, shot to death a week earlier.
  
  A funeral shooting at St. Columbanus Catholic Church on the South Side left neighbors fretting that no place, not even a church, felt safe any longer. “It’s become the Wild Wild West,” said Charles Childs Jr., who had watched from across the street as mourners screamed and scattered.
  
  
• More than 80 percent of the city’s homicides took place last year in only about half of Chicago’s 23 police districts, largely on the city’s South and West Sides. The police district that includes parts of the business district downtown reported no killings at all. And while at least one police district on the city’s northern edge saw a significant increase in the rate of killings, the total number there still was dwarfed by deaths in districts on the other sides of town, and particularly in certain neighborhoods.

The Times even provides a handy map of neighborhoods to avoid.

And of course, what's an earth-shattering discovery like this without the requisite blame being laid? The Times lists income, education, and racial percentages in its attempt to seek answers.

Nothing about broken homes, though. Missing family structure. And certainly no stats listing access to guns, seeing as how Chicago, Cook County and Illinois currently ban most ownership of handguns. That wouldn't fit the narrative of all guns being evil and needing to be banned - they already are (pending implementation of a court ordered Concealed Carry law that is.)

We certainly hope the local media picks up on this story. Maybe they can start listing the descriptions of offenders.

2013 - Just Like 2012

Only bloodier:

• In the first homicide of 2013, a 20-year-old man was killed in West Town, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
  
  Octavius Dontrell Lamb, 20, was shot in the throat in the 700 block of North Noble around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday. Lamb was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 4:16 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.
  
  
• Besides Lamb, Kevin Jemison, 29, was shot in the head about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, in the 4500 block of South Champlain Avenue in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood, authorities said. Jemison, of the 4700 block of South Michigan Avenue, was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center where he died less than an hour later.
  
  Just before 5 p.m., Devonta Grisson, 19, was shot in the chest during an apparent drive-by in the Southwest Side Gage Park neighborhood, in the 5800 block of South Sacramento Avenue, police said. Grisson, of the 6700 block of South Artesian Avenue, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Three dead and 15 others wounded and the year isn't even 24 hours old yet. Taking this to the logical CompStat conclusion, Chicago should experience 1095 homicides and 5475 wounded. Way to Garry!

Chicago v New York

Rahm, it's a good thing you're still out of town:

• New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was crowing.
  
  "The number of murders this year will be lower than any time in recorded city history," Bloomberg said Friday in a statement announcing that homicides in the city this year had fallen to 414 — the fewest since it started keeping such statistics in 1963.
  
  About the same time Friday, Chicago police were trying to get the message out that their city hadn't actually recorded its 500th homicide this year, as was being reported. A few hours later, they had to backtrack and acknowledge that, yes, in fact, "the city has seen its 500th homicide for 2012."
  
  That's right: There were more homicides this year in Chicago than in New York, a city with three times the population. That means Chicagoans were proportionally 3.7 times more likely to be homicide victims than New Yorkers were in 2012

McCarthy watch is in full swing.  Remember, when Rahm says he has full confidence in Garry and no plans to replace him, 72 hours is the over/under.

500 for Sure Now

No avoiding it now - may as well own it:

• The fatal shooting of a 40-year-old man Thursday night on the West Side appears to have pushed Chicago's 2012 homicide toll to 500, the first time the city has had that many killings in four years.
  
  The slaying came hours after the Chicago Police Department said the city was one homicide away from the 500 mark for the year.
  
  The victim was standing outside a convenience store around 9 p.m. at Augusta Boulevard and Lavergne Avenue in the city's Austin community when he was shot in the head, police said. He was pronounced dead at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 12:18 a.m., a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

So a big congratulations to Rahm Emanuel and Garry McCompStat. You've proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the number of police officers has a direct correlation to the amount of blood running through the street gutters of Chicago. All your spouting off about "properly utilizing the officers we have" and "highest per capita" statistical nonsense? Bullshit. And sitting idly by while the media and reverends crucify officers and allowing years worth of incompetent "merit" promotions run amok throughout the Department? If it wasn't part of some Grand Plan to destroy the Chicago Police Department, that was the consequence anyway.

Note for next year: An old saying is, "What goes up, must come down." Chances are about even that the rate will fall a bit next year and we fully expect that Laurel and Hardy will take credit for it via some manner - statistical manipulation, new programs, increased hiring, etc. What no one will say is perhaps the shitheads will be running low on targets. After the "Crack Wars" of the 80-90's sorted out the street corners, everyone calmed down a bit.

499.....

In the bag?

• A man died after he was shot at least four times – including in the face and chest – in a Gage Park neighborhood alley Wednesday night on the Southwest Side, authorities said.
  
  Frederico Martinez, of the 5400 block of South California Avenue, died from gunshot wounds he suffered near his home, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
  
  Police said he was Chicago's 499th homicide victim of the year.

The Tribune has all the requisite crying and moaning about how he was just about to turn it around after 30-plus years, 20 of it bangin' in the 'hood.

Another Plug Pulled

Another delayed homicide victim:

• A 26-year-old Chicago man who was shot in early November while sitting in his car on the Near Southwest Side has died, officials said.
  
  Michael Morgan, of the 1400 block of West 13th Street, died at 8:37 p.m. Saturday at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Rumor is McCompStat is demanding all "end-of-life" decisions have to be run through his office before plugs are pulled.   The paperowrk delay is said to be at least two weeks and Rahm added a $1 million fee to help balance his budget.

Add Two

Closing the year with a bang evidently:

• Another apparent homicide on the West Side early Sunday morning claimed the life of man identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Chad Carrasco, 35.
  
  Chicago Police Department News Affairs [...] said police responded to a call of shots fired at 5:09 a.m. and found the victim lying on the ground in the 3500 block of West Lake Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

And this one:

• The Saturday death of a 55-year-old Melrose Park man who was shot in July on the South Side has been ruled a homicide, authorities said.
  
  Reginald Thomas was sitting in a car with a 57-year-old woman about 12:30 a.m. July 11 in the 7200 block of South Dobson Avenue in the Grand Crossing neighborhood when another car pulled up and someone inside fired shots at them – hitting both in the head, according to Chicago Police Department News Affairs...

That's at least 497 as far as we can tell.

Almost There

The Tribune reports 5 injured in shootings:

• Shootings across the city late Saturday and early Sunday left at least five people injured, authorities said.
  
  About 2:15 a.m., a male was shot in the head in the 3500 block of West Diversey Avenue, Chicago Police Department News Affairs [...] said.
  
  He was taken from the scene of the shooting in the Northwest Side's Belmont Gardens neighborhood to Norwegian-American Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

However, the Sun Times reports that "stabilized" means "dead:"

• About 2:15 a.m. Sunday, a man died after being shot in the head in the North Side Logan Square neighborhood in the 3500 block of West Diversey Avenue, said [...], a Chicago Police spokesman. 

The Tribune spent the entire day behind the curve:

• About 5:19 a.m., a male was shot on the 3300 block of West Crystal Street in the West Side’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, police said.
  
  Further information was not immediately available.

But that guy died, too.

The Sun Times reported three dead, pushing the year's total to around 495.

Crime Still Down

If you aren't counting the two dead and 15 wounded over the weekend that is:

• Two people were dead and at least 15 more were wounded in weekend violence across the city, including an Englewood neighborhood man shot to death at 11:15 a.m. Saturday by police who thought he was armed with a gun.
  
  Angry residents of the neighborhood threw bottles and rocks at officers in protest after Jamaal Moore, 23, was shot to death by an officer who thought he saw Moore reach for a gun as he fought with police, police said.

We seem to be stuck in the 490's in total homicides. There's going to have to be a final kick at the end to push it over 500, but we know Englewood can pull it off.

2009 + 4 Years = Parole!

Once again, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois type math:

• A 21-year-old Chicago man who allegedly shot two women in the Lawndale neighborhood early Tuesday morning has been accused of shooting a clerk at the Karavan Motel in Cicero just hours before, Cicero Police officials said on Thursday.
  
  David Victory, 21, of the 600 block of North Springfield Avenue, was charged with one count each of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, according to Cicero police officials
  
  
• Victory is expected to appear in bond court in Maywood on Dec. 18 to face charges in the Cicero shooting. He was out on parole after he was sentenced to four years in prison for robbery in 2009, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections and police.

He's on parole for a previous robbery, does another robbery and shoots the victim, then decides he ought to shoot the two witnesses he was with in case they flip on him.  Not just shoot, but attempts to execute them.

That should pretty much make him ineligible for any future paroles or reductions in his sentences.  But if he had already been serving 100% of his previous sentence, he wouldn't have been in a position to shoot three people inside of a few hours.  Isn't it time for a "100% of sentence" law that keeps the most violent offenders in prison for their entire term of incarceration?

And this is also another fine example of how Chicago's draconian gun laws keep weapons out of the hands of criminals.

No Great Loss

But the CPD and Taser International will take another round of bad publicity:

• A man died Thursday night after getting Tasered at the Chicago Police Department's 5th District Station and again at Roseland Community Hospital on the Far South Side, authorities said.
  
  The death happened at the Calumet District Station, at 727 East 111th Street, a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office said. The 38-year-old was pronounced dead at 5:47 p.m. at Roseland Community Hospital.
  
  The man, whose identity has not been released, was arrested Wednesday about 7:15 p.m. after he beat his 69-year-old mother in the 12800 block of South Morgan Street.
  
  Officers were trying to take the man to court Thursday when he “became combative with officers,” according to a statement from the police department.
  
  Police used a Taser to “gain control of the subject,” who became combative again after he was taken to Roseland Hospital, where police again Tasered him, the statement said.
  
  The man was given a sedative and later died, police said.

Personally, we blame the sedative.  But a 38-year-old man beating his almost-70-year-old mother? Who had to be hospitalized herself? No great loss.

Bus Shooting

Why wasn't this bigger news?

• A teen was shot while riding a school bus after a Chicago Public Schools basketball game in the South Side Englewood neighborhood Monday evening, police said.
  
  The bus, which was transporting a basketball team following the game, was near West 62nd Street and South Stewart Avenue about 7:53 p.m. when three or four gunman aimed at the vehicle and opened fire, said police News Affairs [...].
  
  The 18-year-old male, who is a student, was struck by a bullet in left leg and was the only shooting victim, police said. Police said the bus driver drove the teen to Provident Hospital of Cook County, where he is listed in good condition.

Shooting up a school bus? In Englewood? That sounds tailor-made for half a dozen politicos and "reverend" Pfleger. There should be marches, protests, speeches, etc.

Off Duty Carjacked

South side again:

• An off-duty Chicago Police officer was carjacked Monday night in the Calumet Heights neighborhood on the South Side, police said.
  
  The female officer was in the 9000 block of South Crandon about 9 p.m. when three men — one of them armed — confronted her and demanded her money, purse and SUV, police News Affairs [...] said.
  
  The three robbers took her purse and fled in her white 2012 Buick Enclave,...
  
  The 58-year-old officer was not injured and her weapon was not taken,...

We don't know what you think, but we're pretty sure McFailure's "obliteration" list is getting kind of long.  Maybe too much so - maybe we ought to start hiring people at some point that actually exceeds the rate of retirements.

Shots Fired by HQ

Golly, is no where safe anymore?

• Police officers fired shots while chasing a gunman Monday afternoon in the Bronzeville neighborhood, just a couple blocks away from Chicago Police Headquarters.
  Around 12:50 p.m., officers saw a man firing a gun in the 3400 block of South Indiana Avenue, and began chasing him.
  During the chase, officers fired shots, but no one was injured.

Shootings in Clearing. Shootings by HQ. It's almost like there's a crime wave or something.

Not the Weather? (UPDATE)

Oh the fun you can have with statistics.  You can even discover things that others seem to ignore. Remember how McNotSkilling says that the weather has nothing to do with crime? Here's a chart someone made for us:

As you can see, it covers a recent 29 day period. We aren't scientists, but those peaks and valleys seem to follow kind of closely. Not exactly of course, but enough to rule out pure coincidences. Add in another variable:

Even the low temperatures show some correlation to the amount of shootings.

We do believe that this could be a doctoral thesis to some enterprising college grad student. A bunch of data collection, a few FOIA requests and "presto!" You could be the next supernintendo of the Chicago Police Department.

UPDATE: Superintendent's nickname changed to reflect his inaccuracy as opposed to Tommy Skilling's actual accuracy.

Ric Flair Captures Shooters

007 District:

• Englewood residents thought an episode of “Cops” was being filmed Thursday afternoon as a TV news crew shadowed police after a shooting and foot chase.
  Englewood District Police Cmdr. Leo Schmitz was on a “ride-along” with a CBS news crew in an unmarked squad car when shots rang out near 65th and Sangamon about 4 p.m.
  A man got out of his SUV and began frantically pointing down the block and yelling, “He’s shooting at me!” Schmitz said.
  Moments later, another man bolted from a gangway. Schmitz and three other officers tailed the man into a nearby garage, where Schmitz, gun drawn, found him hiding behind a car. His fellow officers arrested the man without a struggle. Charges are pending against the man, who admitted being in a gang.
  Police found a 9mm Baretta handgun in a backyard as they backtracked the man’s steps.

Nice job. And the resemblance to Ric Flair is amazing actually.

11 Shot Last Night

It was a Monday night. How many tonight?

• Eleven people were shot on Chicago’s West and South sides through the night Monday, including five people hurt in a single shooting at a busy South Shore corner.
  
  Paramedics took four people to area hospitals in critical condition following the attack about 5:55 p.m. near 75th Street and Exchange Avenue, authorities said. A fifth person was hospitalized in good condition.

The McCountdown is in full swing.

Fire McCarthy Please

Crime is down our asses.  Everyone see the Tribune headline this morning?

• Shootings Up 49% in November

 And the article isn't any better:

• That meant shootings were up more than 11 percent in the first 11 months of 2012 compared with a year earlier. Through October, shootings had risen about 81/2 percent.
  
  And four fatal shootings on Friday alone pushed the homicide total for the month to 38, just above 37 in November 2011. For the first 11 months of 2012, homicides have risen to 480, a 21 percent increase from 398 a year earlier. If trends continue, Chicago will likely exceed 500 homicides for the first time since 2008.

CompStat is a failure as are the NYPD transplants that brought this bullshit to Chicago.  It has been decisively proven a fraud by its very creators on the East Coast, although the media here in Chicago keep parroting the company line. Milwaukee and Cleveland have had their own statistic scandals, too.  If there was even a hint of an independent media here, Rahm, McJersey and that Tracy hack would be on the defensive from sunrise to sunset.

Upon reaching the 500 mark, McCarthy should be fired at noon that very day and Tracy should follow.  Someone at HQ should start stacking moving boxes in a nearby closet for that happy day.

18 Years for Fatal Punch

Not locally of course. Minnesota:

• DULUTH, Minn. - A man convicted of fatally punching a man outside a bar in St. Louis County has been sentenced to a maximum 18 years in prison.
  
  Paul Welle knocked Dale Anderson onto a concrete slab outside the Powerhouse Bar in Proctor last November. Testimony at trial indicated Anderson was trying to protect a woman from Welle's unwanted advances.
  
  A jury in September found the 33-year-old Elk River man guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. The Duluth News Tribune reports Welle ran from the scene of the crime, then told investigators Anderson attacked him first and that he was defending himself.

Sentencing guidelines aren't nearly as strict here, plus there's the entire corrupt Cook County system working in Venecko's favor. Still, it'd be nice to see him do some time.

Can You Top This?

How does Chicago top a weekend that included a few double shootings, a triple and two quadruples?

With a quintuple shooting:

• A woman collapsed inside a currency exchange and four others were wounded after a shooting at a busy corner Monday in the South Shore neighborhood.
  
  The shooting at 5:55 p.m. to East 75th Street and South Exchange Avenue — a busy intersection outside a Western Union currency exchange, officials said.
  
  Witnesses said two men approached a group standing on a corner and opened fire.
  
  Five people were hospitalized — four critically, officials said.

 Nothing to see here, move along.