Chicago Crime Spike Forces Rich People To Hire Private Police

Chicago Crime Spike Forces Rich People To Hire Private Police
Thwarted carjacking (Image: YouTube screen grab via News24)

Several neighborhoods in the affluent North Side community of Chicago have hired private police amid an increase in carjackings and other crimes, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Crime rates have spiked in several neighborhoods on the North Side, including Lincoln Park, Bucktown and Lakeview, prompting citizens to call upon P4, a private security firm, for protection, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). (RELATED: Calls For Private Police Force In Atlanta Grow After 7-Year-Old Shot And Killed)

Private police officers riding in security vehicles would not make any arrests. Instead, these armed officers, equipped with communication devices and cameras, would call 911 in the case of an emergency, according to WSJ.

The Chicago Police Department has reported 30% more crimes in Bucktown for the first quarter of 2022 compared to this period in the previous year based on data gathered from P4, according to WSJ.

The new measures were met with positive and negative reactions, as some citizens, including restaurant owner Jim Higgins, welcomed the extra protection, WSJ reported. Others are concerned about how the private police force will be held accountable, and that their communities are not gated and should not be treated as such, according to CBS 2 Chicago.

In Mexico’s capital city, private police were called in 2014 to protect the wealthy and affluent amid crime and violence, according to The San Diego Union Tribune.

Comments

For your convenience, you may leave commments below using Disqus. If Disqus is not appearing for you, please disable AdBlock to leave a comment.