Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson hates police while he defends violent criminals. This has been known for a while based on his actions and rhetoric, but he stooped to a new low this week when he said, “Jails and incarceration and law enforcement is a sickness that has not led to safe communities.”
Chicago’s streets remain plagued by violence, with incidents like the Labor Day weekend shootings leaving 54 people wounded and seven dead. Governor JB Pritzker has downplayed such events, suggesting that crime comes with the territory of urban living. Yet Johnson takes a different tack, arguing against traditional law enforcement measures. He has labeled jailing criminals as “racist, unholy and doesn’t lower violent crime rates.”
This position raises questions about effective public safety strategies in a city where repeat offenders drive much of the turmoil. Johnson’s reluctance to embrace incarceration overlooks evidence that removing high-risk individuals from circulation can curb violence. Data from various studies show that a narrow segment of the population accounts for a disproportionate share of crimes, making targeted enforcement a practical approach.
Johnson has also pointed fingers at neighboring areas for Chicago’s gun problems. “These guns come from red states. They are coming from Indiana. They are coming from Mississippi. They are coming from Louisiana. And that is the harsh reality, whether Republicans like it or not,” he stated.
This claim persists despite federal records telling a different story. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ 2023 trace data for Illinois, the state itself was the primary source for recovered firearms, with 9,147 traces originating locally. Indiana followed with 2,796, while Missouri and Wisconsin contributed 952 and 663, respectively. Mississippi ranked fifth at 419, and Louisiana did not even appear in the top 15. These figures suggest that local factors play a larger role than external ones in arming criminals.
The mayor’s emphasis on alternatives to policing has drawn scrutiny, especially after recent events involving so-called peacekeepers. Kellen McMiller, a participant in violence prevention programs who once posed for a photo with Governor Pritzker, faced charges in a smash-and-grab at a Louis Vuitton store on Michigan Avenue. The incident escalated into a crash that killed 40-year-old Mark Arceta, a father-to-be. Cases like this illustrate the risks of relying on unvetted individuals in community safety roles, potentially exacerbating the very problems they aim to solve.
Vice President JD Vance has offered a counterpoint, stressing the need for decisive action against chronic violators.
“The reality is that the gross majority of violent crime is committed by a very small group of people and we should be throwing them in prison,” Vance said.
His view aligns with research indicating concentrated criminal activity. As detailed in City Journal, “Violent crime is heavily concentrated in a relatively few individuals. In general, 5 percent of the criminal offenders (not 5 percent of the general population) in a given city commit about 50 percent of that city’s violent crime. One study found that just 1 percent of offenders were responsible for over 60 percent of violent crime.”
Focusing on these “violence generators” through arrests and prosecutions has proven effective, as seen in New York where gang takedowns reduced gun violence by about one-third in affected areas.
Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., under President Trump’s renewed focus on law and order, has seen tangible improvements, including stretches of at least ten days without homicides. This progress stands in stark contrast to Chicago’s ongoing struggles, where policies favoring deflection over detention continue to face criticism from residents demanding safer neighborhoods.
An anonymous commenter on X captured the sentiment of many: “Imagine saying that to the families of officers killed in the line of duty. Police aren’t the sickness.”
this is all you need to know about this moron, for evil, good is a sickness.