Crime
Chicago ‘Magnificent Mile’ Robbery Latest In Series Of Criminal Incidents By Young People Downtown
(Editor’s note: According to the Chicago news media tonight, the Chicago Police Department is saying the following robbery story is unfounded. How much is untrue still remains to be seen.)
Here’s a headline that’s sure to make Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel cringe today:
“Woman robbed of $200K worth of jewelry on Mag Mile”
From the WGN Chicago Web Desk last night:
A 69-year-old woman was robbed of as much as $200,000 in jewelry, cash and other items by a group of young men in front of a North Michigan Avenue department store this afternoon, authorities said…
The woman… was robbed by a group of at least three and as many and eight young men, law enforcement sources said…
The woman told police the group surrounded her, and demanded her money and jewelry.
John Garcia added on the ABC Chicago website this morning:
It happened around noontime in the middle of a crowded sidewalk…
Authorities say there were as many as ten young men in the group. They reportedly threatened her, but she gave up the valuables and was not hurt.
It is the latest in a series of criminal incidents involving groups of young people on North Michigan Avenue.
In March, police arrested dozens of young men and women who gathered in the area and were allegedly attacking shoppers and police.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
WGN Chicago is reporting that the Chicago Police Department is not classifying Wednesday’s incident as being a “flash mob.” But like I blogged Tuesday:
Still, if I were an urban dweller/visitor in that part of the city, I wouldn’t let my guard down for an instant. They shouldn’t be doing that anyway, especially as the more-established criminal element in the city is probably well-aware of the ongoing manpower shortage in the Chicago Police Department.
As for City Hall? They’re probably wishing May 19 had already arrived.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Sources:
“Woman robbed of $200K worth of jewelry on Mag Mile.” Chicago Tribune. 15 May 2013. (http://wgntv.com/2013/05/15/woman-robbed-of-200k-worth-of-jewelry-on-mag-mile/). 16 May 2013.
Garcia, John. “Woman robbed of jewelry, thousands in cash on Michigan Avenue.” ABC Chicago. 16 May 2013. (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=9104284). 16 May 2013.
Chicago: 2 Dead, 11 Wounded In Shootings As Temp Soars To 91 Degrees
On Tuesday, the temperature at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago soared to 91 degrees.
Shootings predictably picked up as well.
From Rosemary Regina Sobol and Adam Sege on the Chicago Tribune website this morning:
Two men were killed and at least 11 people were wounded — one of them by police — in shootings from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning across Chicago, police said.
The Chicago Sun-Times wins the award for being more insightful, recognizing what appears to be a correlation here in the “Windy City” between rising temperatures and more shootings. From their website last night:
Two men were killed and at least 10 other people were wounded in gun violence across the city from Tuesday afternoon until early Wednesday.
The outbreak of shootings came after a two-week period of relative calm and, once again, coincided with an improvement in the weather, with Tuesday temperatures hovering in the upper 80s.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
The pick-up in gun-related violence may last for quite a bit longer now as the Weather Channel website is calling for at least 70 degree weather in Chicago until next Tuesday, reversing the unseasonably-colder temps Chicagoans were subjected to this spring.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Sources:
Sege, Adam and Sobol, Rosemary Regina. “2 dead, 11 wounded in shootings across Chicago.” Chicago Tribune. 15 May. 2013. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-2-men-shot-in-south-shore-neighborhood-20130514,0,3117824.story). 15 May 2013.
“2 dead, 10 injured in shootings across city.” Chicago Sun-Times. 14 May 2013. (http://www.suntimes.com/20116712-761/2-dead-10-injured-in-shootings-across-city.html). 15 May 2013.
Chicago Reporter Goes Off Anti-Gun Reservation
Anyone who’s read/listened to the work of Chicago-based reporters over a period of time might detect the anti-gun bias that many of them seem to have. So I was somewhat shocked when the following appeared on the Chicago Sun-Times website the other day. Steve Huntley wrote on May 9:
Amid the gun control debate following the Newtown killings, average Americans could be forgiven for thinking — as polling shows most do — that gun violence is higher than 20 years ago. The truth is exactly the opposite — both the number and rate of gun murders have plunged since 1993.
In what can only be interpreted as a setback to the gun control crusade, two new studies document a remarkable trend in firearm crime. Gun-related homicides in 2011 numbered 11,101, down from 18,253 in 1993 — a 39 percent decline, according to the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. And the number of non-fatal firearm victims in the same period fell by more than two-thirds, from 1.5 million in 1993 to 467,300 in 2011. Separately, the Pew Research Center found that the nation’s gun homicide rate had fallen 49 percent between 1993 and 2010.
These declines came as the population of the United States increased, gun sales soared, and concealed-carry laws multiplied. Yes, the decline came as overall violent crime fell, guns account for 70 percent of murders, and major cities like Chicago are plagued by violence. But the bottom line is firearm violence has fallen to the point that most gun deaths aren’t murders — six in 10 of them are suicides.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Huntley added later in the piece:
I’ve never owned a firearm and support reasonable gun legislation, but given the facts, has the legislative emphasis after Sandy Hook been focused too much on guns and not enough on the violently mentally ill?
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Nice to see some in the so-called “Fourth Estate” still asking thought-provoking questions. And reporting the facts. And checking their biases in at the door.
After penning this article, brave Mr. Huntley might want to be on the lookout for the following:
1. A bayonet being shoved up his butt by a former Chicago mayor
2. A dead fish being mailed to him by the current Chicago mayor
3. Being wire-tapped (plenty o’ stories going around about that this week- choose your own search engine)
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
Huntley, Steve. “Gun deaths are down as debate rages.” Chicago Sun-Times. 9 May 2013. (http://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/20001555-452/gun-deaths-are-down-as-debate-rages.html). 13 May 2013.
Chicago Flash Mobs/Mob Attacks/Wildings Derailed This Summer?
South Side youths intent on carrying out a flash mob/mob attack/wilding in downtown Chicago may find themselves unable to get to their destination this summer.
From the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) website this morning:
Coming: May 19, 2013
Faster. Smoother. Better.
Beginning May 19, 2013, the CTA will rebuild the tracks along the south Red Line, from Cermak-Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan—a project that will provide faster, more comfortable and more reliable service for Red Line riders.
From just north of the Cermak-Chinatown station to the 95th Street station, crews will replace everything in the track bed: ties, rail, third rail, ballast (the stone material that holds the ties in place) and drainage systems. Some stations will also receive improvements ranging from new canopies, paint and lighting upgrades to new benches and bike racks. Additionally, the stations at Garfield, 63rd and 87th will get new elevators, making all stations on the South Side Red Line accessible.
The south Red Line, called the Dan Ryan branch, is more than 40 years old and needs a full replacement…
The work is part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Building a New Chicago program, which is updating infrastructure that’s critical to the city—and includes improvements that will help ensure that CTA continues to serve customers as effectively as possible.
The project is made possible by $1 billion in state and local funding announced in late 2011 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn for the Red and Purple Lines.
The Red Line will completely close from Cermak-Chinatown through 95th/Dan Ryan. The closure is expected to last 5 months, until late October 2013.
Knowing all this, I won’t be surprised if it’s a “quiet” summer along the “Magnificent Mile” and in other tourist hotspots downtown. Still, if I were an urban dweller/visitor in that part of the city, I wouldn’t let my guard down for an instant. They shouldn’t be doing that anyway, especially as the more-established criminal element in the city is probably well-aware of the ongoing manpower shortage in the Chicago Police Department.
You can read more about that CTA project beginning this weekend here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Illinois Prepares For Summer Mob Attacks
Just in time for the flash mob/mob attack/wilding season in Chicago. Monique Garcia reported on the Chicago Tribune website this morning:
People who use social media and other means of electronic communication to organize mob attacks could face tougher penalties under legislation House lawmakers sent to Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday…
Under the measure, which was approved 102-6, a judge would have the discretion to impose a more severe sentence on anyone who used social media, text messaging or email to orchestrate a mob attack.
According to the website of Chicago AM radio station 89 WLS yesterday:
During debate, Chicago democrat Monique Davis said this goes too far.
“Sometimes something occurs that creates what people see as mob action when it’s really just a bunch of young people with nothing to do! They can’t afford to go to the park because it costs money for a five or six week program. They can’t go free like I used to do!”
Try selling that that to the residents and tourists who’ve been assaulted, attacked, and injured, and downtown retailers who’ve had their wares shoplifted en masse, by these “young people with nothing to do.”
I suspect that when these residents, tourists, and businesses call in a flash mob/mob attack/wilding to the Chicago Police Department, it’s the real deal. If not, then I challenge Representative Davis and/or her staff to share those “sometimes something occurs” instances with Survival And Prosperity readers, at which time I’ll happily amend this post.
In the meantime, as summer rapidly approaches, residents and tourists would be wise to exercise situational awareness and be prepared to avoid or defend themselves as necessary when in downtown Chicago in the event such criminal activity occurs.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Sources:
Garcia, Monique. “Flash mob attack bill before Illinois governor.” Chicago Tribune. 11 May 2013. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-flash-mob-crackdown-20130511,0,5034826.story). 11 May 2013.
“Illinois House approves crack down on violent flash mobs.” 89 WLS. 10 May 2013. (http://www.wlsam.com/common/page.php?pt=Illinois+House+approves+crack+down+on+violent+flash+mobs&id=37413&is_corp=0). 11 May 2013.
Amendment To Ban Standard-Capacity Magazines Introduced In Illinois Senate
Another day, another firearms-related ban proposed in Illinois. From the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action website yesterday:
Illinois: Amendment to Ban Standard Capacity Magazines to be Considered
Today, an anti-gun amendment was offered to Senate Bill 1002, turning this bill into another vehicle for gun control. Sponsored by state Senator Antonio Munoz (D-1), this amendment seeks to ban the possession, purchase, manufacture, sale or delivery of all magazines in Illinois that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition or that can be readily converted to do this. Further, Illinois residents would have ninety days to surrender or dispose of any of these magazines they already possess. In a state that is under court order to enact concealed carry reform laws for the self-defense of its citizens, this restriction on standard capacity magazines is a step in the wrong direction.
By limiting the capacity of rounds in a magazine, state legislators are directly targeting law-abiding gun owners since these magazines are standard for many commonly owned firearms used for self-defense. Violent criminals are not going to obey a magazine capacity restriction any more than they comply with gun bans or other forms of gun control. This amendment provides no solution to current crime problems in Illinois and only seeks to further disarm and punish law-abiding citizens.
It is important that you contact your state senator TODAY and respectfully urge him or her to uphold Illinoisans’ right to self-defense by opposing Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 1002.
Contact information for your state Senator can be found here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Glenn Beck: ‘We Are The First Responders’
Glenn Beck, the conservative radio/television host, political commentator, and author, gave the keynote address at the National Rifle Association’s 2013 national convention that just wrapped up in Houston. Beck, who I actually met and spoke to briefly when I was in Dallas at the end of March for the FoodInsurance™ “Ready, Set, Prep” Summit, pointed out the following concerning the term “first responders” as he spoke about different firearms that “tell the story and teach the story of the 2nd Amendment.” From his speech:
9/11- Walter Reaver’s Revolver
September 11th, 2001. A moment in history that will define this generation. While victims were running away, men, were running into those buildings. Amazing men like young Walter Weaver, a member of the NYPD and an NRA life member. He was last seen in the World Trade Center trying to rescue people. He was in the lobby trying to free people trapped in an elevator. A servant fighting for the individual’s freedom until the very end.
After the towers fell and the nation mourned, we sifted through the rubble, this is all that was left as a reminder of Walter Weaver. A silent token of liberty.
Walter Weaver, I’m sure wouldn’t want to be called a hero.
He was simply an American.
He was an example of what we all should be—men, who just do the right thing when time calls our name.
When there is an emergency or trouble we are the ones that should run to help. We must be the action on the other end of the 911 call.
I don’t know, but I believe Walter Weaver would tell you that he wasn’t trained to be hero by the police academy.
But he was raised in a culture that taught him about self-sacrifice and to always do the right thing, even when no one else is watching. He had those things long before he wore a uniform.
How many of us can say that.
Good cops, bad cop, it doesn’t mean you take all the badges. It’s the people, not the badge.
As good as the policemen in our country are. When you are in trouble the average police response rate is 8 minutes; most crimes take less than one.
If a responsible citizen with a gun had been in that movie theater in Colorado, or if members in the audience in that theater were allowed to bring their gun into the theater and not leave them locked in their cars, how many lives would have been saved?
How many of the mourning, children would instead have been able to spend time over breakfast with their mom or dad this morning if someone good was allowed to have a gun?
While our politicians from the local to the federal level have spent us into oblivion, and our public services are being obliterated and our police force is being cut.
I will no longer accept the media falsehood nor reinforce it by calling our brave men and women in blue on our cities and streets first responders. It’s time for America to recognize WE are the first responders.
They are the 2nd responders, we are the first responders.
When there is trouble let us be the first on the scene to help.
Let us be the first responder when someone is sick or hungry or frightened.
Let us be the first to share our bread with the hungry; Let us be the first to open our hearts to the homeless poor; Let us be the first to remove the yoke of injustice.
I don’t know what America will choose. But for me and my family, I choose to stand with courage. I choose to stand with selflessness. I chose to stand with God with Malice toward none and charity to all.
That’s who we are.
Forget what the media says, I know that’s who we are.
You can read Glenn Beck’s entire speech here on GlennBeck.com.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Chicago, Cook County Residents To Be Discriminated Against On Right To Carry In Illinois?
Following the local news as I do, I’ve been made aware of a push to discriminate against Chicago and Cook County residents from the rest of Illinois concerning the coming right to carry concealed firearms in the state. It seems to have some teeth to it, judging from what appeared on the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action website yesterday:
Illinois: Legislature Under Pressure to Compromise on Shall-Issue Right to Carry Legislation
Legislators in both the state Senate and House are under extreme pressure to exempt Chicago and Cook County from any “shall-issue” mandate in the concealed carry law that a federal court has ordered to be adopted by June 9. Such an exemption would allow Chicago and Cook County authorities to deny a concealed carry permit to an applicant even if that person meets all of the statutory requirements used to judge eligibility in the rest of the state. Any exemption for Chicago and Cook County could easily deny 40% of Illinois’ population “shall-issue” right to carry, and put gun owners state-wide at risk of felony prosecution if they happen to travel across Cook County or Chicago lines.
Further, in anticipation of the June 9 deadline, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is trying to force an ordinance that would allow him to approve and reject licenses for concealed carry in Cook County, and force applicants to cough up a clearly discriminatory $300 fee just for a license to legally exercise their right to self-defense. Please contact your state Senator and Representative TODAY and urge them to support equal right to carry laws for ALL Illinois residents.
Any semblance of an argument for more restrictive gun control laws in Chicago and Cook County falls apart when faced with facts: at a time when gun ownership throughout the country is at an all-time high, the nation’s murder rate has fallen to a near all-time low. Additionally, Chicago has had a long history with the inverse relationship of increased gun control laws and public safety. Chicago imposed a handgun registration requirement in 1968, with no effect on the city’s rising handgun homicide numbers or the percentages that handgun homicides comprised of total homicides. In April 1982, a law prohibiting possession of handguns not previously registered with the police took effect in Chicago. Annual handgun homicide numbers and percentages of total homicides fluctuated, and then rose sharply.
The bottom line is that criminals do not obey the law – but the law-abiding people in Illinois, regardless of where they might live, or what their economic standing may be, have a natural, fundamental, and constitutionally protected right to defend themselves. Any Right to Carry law passed by the legislature in compliance with the federal court ruling MUST recognize this. Given the high violent crime rates in Chicago and Cook County, law-abiding residents of these municipalities have a great need to carry a firearm for self-defense since they are likely to be victims of violent crime, and their local government officials refuse to deal effectively with violent criminals there. It is time for Chicago politicians to face the facts – their ideological crusade against guns has only ensured that criminals are armed and the law-abiding are defenseless victims.
Contact your state Senator and Representative immediately. Urge them to oppose any legislation or amendment that would discriminate among the residents of Illinois, recognizing the rights of some, but not others. Our constitutional right to keep and bear arms and inherent right to self-defense protect all Americans, not just some in a particular state, city or county.
Contact information for your state legislators can be found here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Free Shotguns For Chicago Residents?
Ever hear of the Armed Citizen Project? From the Houston, Texas-based initiative’s website:
The Armed Citizen Project is dedicated to facilitating the arming of law abiding citizens, and analyzing the relationship between increased firearm availability and rates. We are choosing mid-high crime neighborhoods in cities across America, and offering defensive weapons to citizens that can pass a background check, and that will take our safety, legal, and tactical training. The data that we collect will be used in the completion of a policy study.
According to the CBS Chicago website Saturday night, in reference to an announcement the group made at the National Rifle Association national convention that wrapped up Sunday in downtown Houston:
They aim to give out shotguns to people in fifteen cities including Chicago…
[Group founder Kyle] Coplen says they want to come to Chicago but are checking with their lawyers to make sure any legal concerns are addressed ahead of time.
Chicago has traditionally had more restrictive gun laws, and that’s why the armed citizen project says they want in so they can put their theory to the test here.
The Armed Citizen Project website shows they’re currently active in Tucson, Arizona, as well as Houston, where they have already helped 15 women better protect their families.
For more information about the initiative, you can visit their website here.
Which might be worth your while, as they’re giving away an AR-15- laser engraved with their logo- later in the week on Friday, May 10.
Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
“Group Wants To Give Out Free Shotguns In Chicago.” CBS Chicago. 4 May 2013. (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/05/04/group-wants-to-give-out-free-shotguns-in-chicago/). 5 May 2013.
More Video Surveillance Cameras Coming To A Public Place Near You?
As I watched the television news coverage on the Boston terror attack right after it happened, one of the “talking heads” noted what some person responded with when asked what they thought would come from all this:
Less freedom.
While I support the law enforcement community and their mission “to serve and protect,” I am concerned about what I see is a steadily-developing Police State in America.
Regrettably, there are a number of civil servants who give public service a bad name in their lust for private glory and control over others.
I should know. I’ve met and worked alongside a few of these individuals during my past employment in different levels of government.
(Editor’s note: It’s been my experience that the majority of public servants are good, hard-working people who realize they answer to and work for you. Unfortunately, there are plenty of “rotten apples” in the barrel as well.)
One of the features associated with the Police State is the proliferation of video surveillance cameras in public places. Here in Chicago, these monitoring devices now number 22,000 according to an AP piece that was published earlier today.
Rather worrisome are the results of a recent poll conducted by The New York Times and CBS News asking Americans their views on security issues after the Boston Marathon bombings (April 24-April 28, 965 people surveyed), which could be construed as Americans being open to the increased use of surveillance cameras. From The New York Times website Tuesday:
Some people think installing video surveillance cameras in public places is a good idea because they may help to reduce the threat of terrorism. Other people think this is a bad idea because surveillance cameras may infringe on people’s privacy rights. What do you think?
Survey said…
• 78 percent good idea
• 16 percent bad idea
• The remaining 6 percent replied “both,” “don’t know,” or didn’t answer
In the wake of this poll, the Associated Press’ Tami Abdollah reported this morning:
Police and politicians across the U.S. are pointing to the example of surveillance video that was used to help identify the Boston Marathon bombing suspects as a reason to get more electronic eyes on their streets.
From Los Angeles to Philadelphia, efforts include trying to gain police access to cameras used to monitor traffic, expanding surveillance networks in some major cities and enabling officers to get regular access to security footage at businesses.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Abdollah added the following:
Dozens are said to sit today around the house of George Orwell, the author of “1984,” a story that foretold of a “Big Brother” society. Privacy advocates in the U.S. are concerned that the networks proposed by officials today could grow to realize Orwell’s dystopic vision.
I’m no “privacy advocate,” but the danger of these cameras being used for purposes other than fighting crime (monitoring political opponents and so-called “enemies of the state” comes to mind) probably isn’t too far of a stretch of the imagination.
When it comes to the continued proliferation of these video surveillance cameras, it’s wise to remember what Orwell penned in 1984:
The end was contained in the beginning.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Sources:
“Americans on Terrorism Threats.” The New York Times. 30 Apr. 2013. (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/04/30/us/poll-terror-graphic.html?ref=us). 2 May 2013.
Abdollah, Tami. “Police, politicians push surveillance post-Boston.” Associated Press. 2 May 2013. (http://news.yahoo.com/police-politicians-push-surveillance-post-boston-084307887.html). 2 May 2013.
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