County Commissioner Wants A 'Gun Violence Czar' To Unite Chicago
By Margaret Paulson in News on Jul 24, 2015 1:45PM
A Cook County commissioner has called for the creation of a gun violence "czar" to unite the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, Chicago Police Department and other agencies that fight gun violence.
Commissioner Richard Boykin, (D-1st) said in a press conference Thursday, that political divides have created tension between the City of Chicago and county law enforcement, but a Gun Violence Czar would hopefully be able to bridge that divide.
"This czar would be able to bring people together," he said, according to CBS. "The mayor has not spoken to Sheriff Tom Dart in four years. That is unheard of. How can you be serious about reducing violent crime in Chicago if you don’t even speak to the chief law enforcement officer for Cook County in four years?"
The announcement comes less than 48 hours after a shooting, allegedly between rival gangs over territory, left 26-year-old Cass Singleton dead in Washington Park this week. The shooting happened around 9:40 pm Tuesday when Singleton was driving south on State Street near 59th and a group of men reportedly opened fire, killing him on the spot, according to the Tribune. Singleton was reportedly a member of a Black Disciples gang faction.
According to data tracked by the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Park neighborhood has one of the highest violent crime rates in the city. And the July 4th weekend left 54 wounded and 10 dead, including 7-year-old Amari Brown, who was watching fireworks at the time.
"This data is shockingly amazing; cannot help but beg the question of do black lives really matter? It becomes painfully clear that this is quite literally an endangered population," Boykin said at the press conference, which was held outside the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. He highlighted the fact that 80 percent of the bodies inside were black, though black citizens comprise only 25 percent of Cook County's population.
Whether a gun violence czar could help turn the tide remains to be seen, but in the brutal landscape of Chicago's gun crimes, it probably can't hurt.