(Headline USA) Chicago police officers have made a record low number of arrests this year, even as violent crime skyrockets.
An analysis by the Chicago Sun–Times last week found that arrests were made in just 12% of crimes reported last year—the lowest since 2001 when the data was first made public.
For comparison, the number of arrests made in 2005 was 20 percentage points higher at 31%.
The drop in arrests is even more concerning given the fact that violent crime throughout the city is soaring. In 2021 alone, murders skyrocketed by 60%, with more than 797 homicides committed.
The report also noted that arrests haven’t just dropped in regards to violent crime. Police have also been making fewer traffic stops and handing out fewer tickets as well. Just 69,000 “investigative stops” were made last year, which is fewer than half of the 155,000 recorded in 2019.
Chicago police said the drop in arrests is due to the leftist demoralization of cops.
One officer referred the the deadly shooting of officer Ella French last year, saying it made Chicago law enforcement “take a step back and think: Who really cares about us at that point?”
“We can only support each other at the lowest ranks,” the officer says. “And if that means going out there and not doing anything, then that means going out there and not doing anything,” he said.
Another officer said, “In the past, I might see a guy with a gun in his waistband, and I’d jump out and chase him … No way I’d do that now.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot responded by acknowledging the officers’ complaints.
“Is this a difficult time to be the police? No question,” she said. “Are there officers that are concerned about being that next viral video? No question.”
However, Chicago cops are “still running toward danger,” she insisted.
