U.S. National Guard troops could soon be patrolling the streets of Chicago to deal with the ever growing and out of control problem of gang violence.
With 113 murders in Chicago so far this year, including seven in just one night last week, two state politicians have called for military intervention in the Midwestern city that Barack Obama calls home. Democratic Congressmen John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford, who represent the north and west sides of the city, believe reserve soldiers are needed to “stabilize communities” in Chicago as they have done in the Middle East. Ironically, the number of murders in Chicago this year match the death toll among U.S. soldiers in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, so the congressmen believe creating a strong military presence is their last and only hope to save Chicago’s youth.
“Is this a drastic call to action? Of course it is. Is it warranted when we are losing residents to gun violence at such an alarming rate? Without question,” Fritchey said. “We are not talking about rolling tanks down the streets or having armed guards on each corner.” Instead, his proposal would involve using guardsmen to create a “heightened presence” on the streets, bolstering a 100-strong police team that is being set up to target Chicago’s crime hot spots.The National Guard can be used for domestic law enforcement if authorized by a state governor. Although the congressmen have yet to discuss the proposal with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, representatives from his office appeared open to the idea. However, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley appeared extremely cool to the idea of a military presence in his city.
“Everybody knows their frustration, when one crime is one too many in any community — any death or any injury,” Daley said. “But like anything else, you have to look at long-term solutions. You can’t just put something temporary in there. People have to get involved in their community, family by family and block by block. Like anything else, that is the key. The community must be as upset as anybody else.” “And so you have to look for long-term solutions. There’s no quick band aid. You just can’t think you’re going to fix it in one weekend and walk away,” Daley said. “And that’s what the problem would be.”
