Chicago residents are calling for more police help as crime continues to affect their neighborhoods. Many locals say the violence has gotten worse over the years. The Trump administration is now thinking about sending National Guard troops to help fight crime in the city.
Illinois officials dealt with a deadly Labor Day weekend as 32 separate shootings happened in Chicago. At least seven people were killed and 37 others were hurt. The weekend violence came as President Donald Trump renewed threats to send federal agents and National Guard troops to Chicago. This happened even though Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson don’t want federal troops in their city.
Osiris King, a Chicago native who lives on the South Side, shared his concerns about how crime has changed. “When I’ve been growing up actually, it wasn’t really as bad as it is today. When I was growing up back in the early 2000s… it was bad, but the kids nowadays, they’re just wreaking havoc in all of the neighborhoods,” King told Fox News Digital. He went on to explain how young people today are different from his generation. “We didn’t play with guns, and we didn’t listen to drill rap music, like at this very young age. Like these kids are carrying guns, like around the age of eight years old. And they’re killing other eight-year-old kids with guns. It’s insane to me,” King said.
Trump considers sending National Guard to Chicago as crime debate grows
Dennis White, a former National Guard officer, believes Chicago needs much more help to solve its crime problems. “We need, I’d say, about 10,000 police. Me, personally, we do need mental health. Now, here’s the thing. If you want to have mental health and have a mental hospital, get these illegals out of here,” White told Fox News Digital. He suggested using shelters currently housing immigrants as mental health facilities instead. “The shelter that you put these illegals in – use that as a mental hospital so they can get the help they need, so they can be more of a productive citizen,” White added.
COMMUNITY IN CRISIS: Chicago natives tell FOX News Digital it's "impossible" feel safe in the city under Democrat leadership — revealing that young children are now carrying guns and "wreaking havoc" throughout neighborhoods. pic.twitter.com/x0vZ8pYVUq
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been avoiding questions about whether the city needs more police officers. During a tense interview on MSNBC, Johnson would not give a straight answer when asked if more uniformed police officers would help cut down on crime. Instead, he focused on the need for social programs like affordable housing. Trump’s broader federal law enforcement policies include many measures aimed at increasing federal control over local crime issues.
President Trump has floated sending the National Guard to Chicago to address the crime issue after federal intervention in Washington, D.C. ends. Johnson pushed back against this plan, calling it “a flagrant violation of our Constitution.” Chicago struggles with poverty and gang violence, and has a crime rate above the national average according to FBI data. However, 2023 data shows several Illinois cities including Chicago Heights, Danville, Peoria, Rockford and Harvey recorded higher violent crime rates than Chicago.
Some residents like Vashon Tuncle support the idea of federal help. “I mean, let’s be honest, with Trump sending the National Guard here, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know where he needs to send these people. He needs to send these troops or the military to these inner-city neighborhoods and the Black communities that are killing each other every single day,” Tuncle told Fox News Digital. The debate over Trump’s growing use of federal enforcement measures continues as local leaders resist federal intervention while some residents call for more help with rising crime.
