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September 8, 2021

Officials Blame Violence on Gangs but CPD Numbers Don’t Add Up

City Cast Chicago

Officials Blame Violence on Gangs but CPD Numbers Don’t Add Up

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City leaders are quick to blame guns and gangs for shootings, but a new report shows CPD numbers don’t back up that narrative. The Trace, a digital publication covering guns and gun violence, found out of nearly 34,000 shootings in the last decade, only three in 10 were labeled “gang-related.” Reporter Lakeidra Chavis wrote "The Problems With Chicago’s Gang-Centric Narrative of Gun Violence" and she explains why this contradiction makes it hard to combat violence and how even defining what a gang is can be squishy.

Guest: Lakeidra Chavis — Reporter, The Marshall Project


Members of Chicago's City Council will vote next week whether to take the largest raise in 15 years. Look up what your alderperson makes.


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