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* Senators Kirk and Durbin have been pressing the US Attorney to do more to fight Chicago street gangs. From a media advisory…

U.S. Attorney Gary S. Shapiro, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry F. McCarthy, and representatives of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation Division will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. today, Thursday Sept. 26, 2013, to announce federal criminal charges against alleged leaders of a Chicago street gang for engaging in a series of violent drug-related crimes, including murders.

The press conference will be held in the U.S. Attorney’s Office press conference room on the 9th floor, north end, of the Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn St., Chicago. Media representatives will have access at 2 p.m.

The criminal charges and a detailed press release will be issued early this afternoon in advance of the press conference.

I’ll let you know what happens.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 10:46 am

Comments

Thanks. I support stronger prosecution of gang crimes. I very rarely watch the local TV news anymore, because I’m tired of the lead-bleed stories and the violence. I’m tired of kids getting shot and gangs acting like they are separate nations from our governments, local, state and federal.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:17 am
As we’ve been reading recently, Chicago is the national distribution center for the most powerful international organized crime drug group, the Sinaola Cartel.

It’s a national problem that requires a concerted national response.

In the 80s, Pres. Reagan put the weight of the national government behind an effort to free South Florida from the grip of the Medellin Cartel. It worked.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:20 am
Arresting, trying, convicting and imprisoning gang leaders is a good thing. Problem is, the reason for the gangs’ existence is not addressed. The street corners will be covered by other gangs or new ones. If New York has seen a drop in gang crime, we should be asking them how they did it.

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:21 am
yawn. arresting and imprisoning our way out of this problem is not going to work. same story, different day.

Comment by b Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:31 am
Gangs do and have exerted political power. Boss Tweed, the Hamburgs, La Cosa Nostra etc. Machine politicians are loathe to interrupt a process that works for them. Throw in a religious/political link and a pattern emerges.

Comment by Weltschmerz Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:31 am
Part of the increase in violence in Chicago is due to the U.S. Attorney’s Office having taken out the top echelon of many gangs. This left the gangs fragmented into smaller groups, fighting for turf.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office can do more, if given more resources, but there is always the danger of an ulterior motive.

Rich Daley went to AG Janet Reno in the Clinton Administration and demanded that more resources be devoted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to guns and drugs. Result: fewer resources devoted to prosecuting public corruption cases. Was that a coincidence or an intended result?

Comment by Keyrock Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:37 am
Will Congressman Rush stand for these “white boy” solutions?

Comment by Reader Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:48 am
===arresting and imprisoning our way out of this problem is not going to work===

Last weekend, I read “Gang Leader for a Day,” which was written by a sociologist. It’s a true story about his decade or so studying people who lived in the Robert Taylor Homes.

One of the objects of his study was a local gang leader. That gang leader was constantly worried about arrest, particularly by the feds. The local cops could be easily dealt with, but the feds were another story. The gangster eventually got out of the biz.

So, yeah, it does have an impact. Don’t kid yourself.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 11:49 am
Nothing new here. “The Feds need to do more” was the defensive refuge of Mayor Daley when there were many, many more murders in Chicago than there are today. And now, with the national spotlight on us again, the mantra returns. No doubt Rahm’s deflect and spread the blame strategy at work here.

Comment by Roger Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 12:07 pm
Indicating leadership is a perpetually inadequate response to Chicago street gangs. This stunt will go down in the memory of Operations Headache, Nightmare, Streetsweeper, Impunity, or host of other mass gang indictments. Until we truly address the lack of meaningful opportunity and poverty in minority communities, gang violence will perpetuate and evolve to a level the feds have even less power to grapple with.

Comment by homunculus Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 12:15 pm
to those who claim this will do nothing, what is the alternative, not to prosecute at all? prosecute all the violent criminals, put them behind bars, and it will make an impact for the good.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 12:54 pm
In my opinion, the Feds have done some nice things lately: no longer charging some nonviolent offenders with drug crimes that carry mandatory minimum sentences, and allowing states to legalize marijuana. This is promising and an important first step in reforming our criminal justice system. This paves the way for more states to legalize marijuana, and to instead have more resources that can be used to fight violent crime.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 2:24 pm
This is grandstanding. The Department of Justice has been going after these gangs for a long time and there are dozens of other federal agencies and offices targeting these groups for different reasons. There needs to be more focus on local accountability for why in new york they think their city is too safe and why chicago is struggling like this.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 2:53 pm
Buried near the end of the Tribune story:

“All of those charged are currently in either federal or state custody.”

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 3:03 pm
So this means the plan to arrest all 18,000 Gangster Disciples is no longer in effect? Another day, another headline.

Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Sep 26, 13 @ 7:18 pm