Chicago, like other metropolitan areas in the country, has seen a surge in violence and Republicans in the state are calling on their Democratic counterparts to examine the viability of reforming criminal justice.
State House Republicans are highlighting Democratic policies, which they say has cultivated the current crime wave.
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) says Gov. J.B. Pritzker needs to get tougher on crime as urban violence continues to seep into the suburbs.
“In my home county of DuPage County we’ve seen a rise in all sorts of crimes,” Mazzochi said in a Facebook post. “We’ve seen rises in burglary and carjacking and where a local county sheriff has estimated that on any given day, probably 40% of people in his jail have Cook County or Chicago addresses.”
The Center Square reported that Pritzker recently met with President Joe Biden to discuss violence and how Illinois law enforcement agencies are working with federal agencies to capture illegally trafficked guns to Chicago.
“Chicago is not alone, Rockford, Carbondale, Quincy and Champaign, we have major cities across the state of Illinois that have increased violence, especially during this period of COVID-19,” Pritzker told The Center Square.
Police organizations and Republicans have been vocal on what they deem a criminal justice system that doesn’t hold perpetrators accountable, while being too demanding on law enforcement, according to the news website.
Alerts Sign-up