Remember, crime is down...except for that pesky homicide and shooting rate (unless McCompStat is just counting the last ten minutes - then shootings are down. Whoops! Nevermind, they're back up again.) In any event, what is it costing taxpayers?
Chicago’s sharp spike in murder rates could prove very costly if it lasts, according to a national study released Tuesday.
Violent crime costs Chicago about $5.3 billion a year, the study concluded.
A 25 percent drop in murders would result in home values rising $5.5 billion, according to the Center for American Progress, which studied eight cities including Chicago. Murder in Chicago is up 36 percent this year through June 10, according to the police department.
Researchers came up with $1.1 billion in direct costs of violent crime for Chicago by looking at spending on police, prosecutors and jails — as well as medical expenses and lost income of crime victims and the lost income of locked-up criminal defendants.
Wait a minute - "lost income of locked-up criminal defendants"? Are they joking? They're counting dope money as "lost income?" Or are they counting the thimbleful of actual legit victims?