http://globalgrind.com/2013/09/23/national-guard-chicago-4-dead-15-wounded-weekend-shootings-details/
http://www.guns.com/2013/09/24/il-gov-says-consider-using-national-guard-help-chicagos-violence-police-supt-says-video/
"I said no way, no how," said Supt. Garry McCarthy, Chicago Police Department.
In the wake of last Thursday's Back of the Yards mass shooting, Gov. Quinn said he'd be willing to discuss using state resources to help put down Chicago gun violence.
"I'm always open for any mayor or anyone to talk to us about working in that area," said Gov. Quinn.
"You can make Illinois State Police work because they're law enforcement, they have a law enforcement mission," said Jody Weis, ABC7 security consultant.
But Weis, McCarthy's predecessor, notes that National Guard troops are not trained or sworn to be cops.
"They can't do direct police functions. They can't arrest, they can't do search and seizure, they can't do stop and frisk," said Weis.
"We not in Iraq. They might be calling it "Chiraq". We're not in Iraq," said Naphtali Dukes, Back of the Yards resident.
Naphtali Dukes said his violence-wracked neighborhood needs jobs more than it needs state cops and soldiers.
"Soldiers need to be where soldiers be at: he battlefield," said Dukes.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel would not take questions on the shootings four days ago. McCarthy gave voice to the City Hall position, that the state can help most by imposing minimum prison terms for illegal gun possession.
"If people don't go to jail for possession of a firearm, they don't learn not to carry a firearm," said Supt. McCarthy.
Chicago police also say their anti-violence efforts are working without outside help.
This year through Sunday at midnight, the department reports shootings are down 22%, murders down 20%, and overall crime citywide is down 15%.
But those numbers don't mean much in those "hotspot" neighborhoods like Back of the Yards.
http://www.guns.com/2013/09/24/il-gov-says-consider-using-national-guard-help-chicagos-violence-police-supt-says-video/
Illinois governor said National Guard could help curb Chicago’s violence (VIDEO)
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says that the increase in patrols is helping to reduce violence in the city. (Photo credit: CBS)
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters on Saturday that if the city officials wanted the extra help, he would consider the use of state resources, including state police and the National Guard, to help curb the violence in the streets of Chicago, reports a local CBS affiliate.
However, Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy says extra help is not what’s needed, but rather tougher gun laws and enforcing those laws already on the books.
The statement came after the FBI declared last week that Chicago is now the murder capital of the U.S. and another violent shooting late Thursday night at a basketball game at Cornell Square Park, which left 13 people suffering from gunshot wounds, including the youngest victim of only 3-years-old.
And while Quinn admitted that he had not yet discussed the matter with either Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel or McCarthy, saying that they neither asked for the help and he hasn’t offered it. However, Quinn noted that in similar violence-ridden East St. Louis state police had been brought in to help local authorities.
“It has to be done in a coordinated fashion with the local law enforcement, with their full cooperation,” Quinn said.
And this isn’t the first time that the idea of calling in troops has been brought up either. Back in 2008 then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich made a suggestion to reduce the “out of control” violence in Chicago with the aid of either the state police or the National Guard. However, some took the suggestion as a jab at then-Mayor Richard Daley.
Nonetheless, Quinn also said that he is still dedicated to taking action against assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, which were believed to be used in Thursday night’s attack.
“Illegal guns, illegal guns, illegal guns drive violence … A military-grade weapon on the streets of Chicago is simply unacceptable,” Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said at a news conference following Thursday night’s shooting.
“I think anyone who saw what happened in Cornell Park the other night was horrified by the violence,” Quinn said. “I live on the West Side of Chicago. It is an area that has been inflicted with violence, and we’ve got to protect the people.”
But McCarthy said at a graduation of 125 new Chicago PD officers that he does not agree troops should be brought in.
“It’s not an issue of resources. It’s the issue of supporting that system. If people don’t go to jail for possession of a firearm, they don’t learn not to carry a firearm,” he said.
The attack occurred in an area that city officials refer to as a “high gang-conflict zone.” The park is located in between two areas, known as “special impact zones,” where officers have flooded the streets with extra patrols.
While Emanuel also admitted that he has become frustrated with the increasing gang violence he also feels that his violence-reduction strategy is working.
“We will not allow children in the city of Chicago to have their youthfulness, their optimism, their hope taken from them,” Emanuel said.
Incidentally, the number of homicides in the city has decreased 23 percent compared with this time last year, but Emanuel said that the statistics are often overpowered by the pictures seen when the violence does occur.
Should the National Guard help curb Chicago violence?
Monday, September 23, 2013
September 23, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- It's an idea that seems to come up whenever gun violence spikes in Chicago. Should state resources-- including National Guard troops-- be deployed in some city neighborhoods? Governor Pat Quinn says he's open to the idea, but Chicago's police superintendent says that's not a good idea.
<p. Here's what police superintendent McCarthy said about Illinois State Police and/or National Guard troops helping patrol violent Chicago neighborhoods."I said no way, no how," said Supt. Garry McCarthy, Chicago Police Department.
In the wake of last Thursday's Back of the Yards mass shooting, Gov. Quinn said he'd be willing to discuss using state resources to help put down Chicago gun violence.
"I'm always open for any mayor or anyone to talk to us about working in that area," said Gov. Quinn.
"You can make Illinois State Police work because they're law enforcement, they have a law enforcement mission," said Jody Weis, ABC7 security consultant.
But Weis, McCarthy's predecessor, notes that National Guard troops are not trained or sworn to be cops.
"They can't do direct police functions. They can't arrest, they can't do search and seizure, they can't do stop and frisk," said Weis.
"We not in Iraq. They might be calling it "Chiraq". We're not in Iraq," said Naphtali Dukes, Back of the Yards resident.
Naphtali Dukes said his violence-wracked neighborhood needs jobs more than it needs state cops and soldiers.
"Soldiers need to be where soldiers be at: he battlefield," said Dukes.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel would not take questions on the shootings four days ago. McCarthy gave voice to the City Hall position, that the state can help most by imposing minimum prison terms for illegal gun possession.
"If people don't go to jail for possession of a firearm, they don't learn not to carry a firearm," said Supt. McCarthy.
Chicago police also say their anti-violence efforts are working without outside help.
This year through Sunday at midnight, the department reports shootings are down 22%, murders down 20%, and overall crime citywide is down 15%.
But those numbers don't mean much in those "hotspot" neighborhoods like Back of the Yards.
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