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* Champaign News-Gazette editor Jeff D’Alessio…
The News-Gazette requested homicide data from more than 400 cities, villages and townships similar in size to Champaign (17 deaths by firearm in 2021, 16 of them homicides) and Urbana (nine homicides). […]
— Of the 68 U.S. cities with populations within 5,000 of Champaign (pop. 88,302), according to 2020 U.S. Census figures, only one has had more homicides by firearm in 2021.
That city: Trenton, N.J., with 36, four shy of the 2020 total that gave the crime-plagued New Jersey capital the seventh-highest murder rate of any city in the U.S., according to FBI data. […]
— Of 316 U.S. cities, villages and townships with populations within 5,000 of Urbana (38,336), five reported more homicides by firearm this year, including three that ranked in the top five nationally on 2020’s highest murder rate list — Petersburg, Va., Pine Bluff, Ark., and Saginaw, Mich. […]
— Of the 46 U.S. cities with populations within 10,000 of Champaign-Urbana combined (126,638), only Hartford, Conn., has had a higher death-by-firearm count in 2021, with 32.
Waukegan had 8 homicides, Cicero had 4, Belleville and DeKalb had 3. Several had 1.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:10 am
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Maybe Bailey will call in the National Guard if elected.
Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:13 am
Anyone who says crime isn’t onvallot is a tool. Those numbers are staggering, shake me to the core.
Comment by Masker Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:28 am
CU Citizen Access has an even deeper dive into the data with interactive maps-
https://tinyurl.com/2uwnwjec
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:29 am
Did Darren Bailey blame Lori Lightfoot or Kim Foxx?
Do we know where the guns are coming from?
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:30 am
Urbana’s info also from CU Citizen Access-
https://tinyurl.com/3ruw662d
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:32 am
Will Bailey go and live there to experience the violence?
Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:32 am
Bailey jokes aside, how about collaborative solutions from all the stakeholders involved? We are talking gun violence and real lives being ended. If anyone has a child at u of i it could easily be their kid not coming home, butjoke away about bailey,etc.
Comment by Boomer remover Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:37 am
This was the case in the Peoria area LAST YEAR and they are in the hunt for ‘22 too. The per capita rate matches up with Chicago. Perhaps the Bailey’s of the world can reflect and develop strategies for use across the state.
Comment by Annonin' Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:40 am
Since he’s just a farm boy from southern Illinois, I’m sure Bailey’s next move will be to a luxury condo in the inner city of Champaign.
Comment by Steve Rogers Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:41 am
Police department is clueless, community and anti-violence programs are outdated post covid, and Mayor does nothing but react instead of planning ahead.
It’s not safe to go out in downtown Champaign after dark and it’s a shame too because they have done a great job revamping downtown the past fifteen years.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:41 am
Bailey derangement syndrome is at a fever pitch.
Anyone care to hold those actually representing the area accountable for the escalation in violent crime?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:44 am
The snark responding to these horrible homicide numbers charted from the home cities of our top state university is disappointing to say the least.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:47 am
Obviously UofI Antifa busy in the area.
Comment by PublicServant Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:51 am
=The snark responding to these horrible homicide numbers charted from the home cities of our top state university is disappointing to say the least.=
Owning the libs works both ways but ironically the left can’t see it when they do it.
Unfortunate for Princeton and UIUC to deal with this.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 9:57 am
It’s not just UIUC. A relative of mine heard shots fired near their apartment on the ISU campus in Normal just a couple weeks ago.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:01 am
Lucky Pierre makes a valid point.
I can’t believe I said that, but it’s true.
Both Isabel and I have been working on other posts this morning and kinda neglected to watch this one.
Get back on topic.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:07 am
The experience in Champaign-Urbana illustrates how a small number of violent individuals can wreak havoc on a community, and also how identifying and removing such individuals can dramatically reduce gun violence rather quickly. Weekly gun murders were the norm in CU last year, but CPD has made many arrests for homicides occurring over the past few years, often charging individuals in multiple incidents. Resultantly, the gun murder rate in CU is way down in 2022, although weekly shooting injuries are still happening. However, it takes police months, even years to investigate a homicide and charge someone, and then the courts have trouble convicting people due to witnesses being intimidated or having their credibility challenged. Small cities can get and stay in front of gun violence if they stay ahead of this backlog - the backlog is why big cities cannot stop the violence. It’s a small number of people committing homicide anywhere - we’re talking about a couple dozen people over the past few years in CU - but if cases remain open this number creeps up over time…
Comment by Dr. M Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:08 am
If the CU Access interactive maps are correct, few, if any, of the shooting incidents have occurred on or immediately near the UIUC campus. At least on the Champaign side, there wasn’t anything shown for Urbana.
Comment by AcademicUnionStateEmployee Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:13 am
-few, if any, of the shooting incidents have occurred on or immediately near the UIUC campus.-
There have been a couple in the Green Street area late at night when students were present in the past few years.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:16 am
FYI - there have been 5 gun homicides in Champaign in 2022 and 3 in Urbana, so those trend lines looks good. However, there have also been 33 gun injuries in Champaign and 9 in Urbana YTD, which should serve as a canary in the coal mine even if the 2022 murder rate ends up being half of what it was in 2021.
This information is available at Gunviolencearchive.org and every data point is accompanied by news coverage verifying accuracy of the data.
Comment by Dr. M Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:19 am
==Anyone care to hold those actually representing the area accountable for the escalation in violent crime?==
I’m extremely willing to talk about what Mayor Feinen needs to do differently, but are you gonna respond with “No, not like that”?
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:20 am
I may have missed it, but I didn’t see anything in the article about arrests and convictions.
Are the local police solving these murders?
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:20 am
Anon @ 10:20, it was me.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:21 am
There have been a couple of shootings on Green street in the heart of Campus townin the past few months.
Of course the the Mayor, city council, States Attorney, Police Chief in Champaign and Urbana and University police, state legislators, Judges and the Governor are all accountable for public safety
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:32 am
The Champaign city council passed a major gun violence prevention package this spring, to the tune of $6.5m, using American Recovery Act funds. Mayor Feinen is extremely engaged on gun violence and there is a Champaign Community Coalition that brings together local policymakers, nonprofits, activists, and law enforcement each month to collaborate on solutions.
However, it’s still a creeping problem, there are simply many, many more teenagers carrying handguns around here than there were even 5 years ago, and practically every teenage party seems to result in an argument that devolves into a shooting (often not lethal). The university kept silent on gun violence for over a year since incidents on campus are rare (but increasing). Sometimes they have to acknowledge it (like when they are asking the state for grant money to research it), and the campus police are active in responding to incidents and threats, apprehending people with illegal guns on campus. This is every week in CU but you only know about it if you read local news or hear gunshots outside your window, which many do.
You can read Champaign’s full plan here:
https://champaignil.gov/equity-and-engagement-department/community-safety-and-justice-division/blueprint/
Comment by Dr. M Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:38 am
@Rich Miller -
Sorry if it seemed off-topic, let me try to connect the dots.
Darren Bailey has been driving past Champaign-Urbana for 11 months to make a point about how Chicago is a “hellhole.”
Republicans want to make crime a Chicago-only problem so they can make it a partisan, “Democrats are bad” problem.
Also, because talking about murders in cities with white mayors and white state’s attorneys does not fit their QAnon George Soros Black Puppets conspiracy theories.
Champaign, Danville, Decatur, Springfield, and Peoria have real crime problems, and no real crime prevention strategies because they are still mired in 20th century policing. They are part of the bigger picture of gangs, guns and drugs connecting New Orleans, Miami and Chicago. Drugs flow North through Central Illinois from the ports, and guns flow South from Chicago to keep the pipeline open.
Or so I am told. Which is why I ask again, does anyone know where the guns recovered in Champaign County come from?
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:49 am
==Anyone care to hold those actually representing the area accountable for the escalation in violent crime?==
We always hear about how gun violence in Chicago is supposedly Kim Foxx’s fault. I wonder if Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Reitz, a reliably “tough on crime” prosecutor who is the current President of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association, will face similar criticism. I won’t hold my breath . . .
Comment by charles in charge Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 10:54 am
I lived in Champaign near downtown and campus for 22 years, still take the News-Gazette, and am encouraged by the detailed comments of Dr. M. There is no strong UIUC campus connection to the shootings, but partying teenagers with handguns is a dismaying development.
Comment by Nellie Fox Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 11:28 am
It seems like anytime you watch any of the central Illinois newscasts on the weekends, regardless of whether it’s 3, 17, or the infamous 20, the lead story more often than not is a shooting that happened either in Springfield, Decatur, CU, or Danville. Except in rare instances shootings are not the lead story on any central Illinois newscasts during the week.
Comment by AcademicUnionStateEmployee Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 11:33 am
Context is important. The recent rise in gun homicides is alarming, but overall crime rates have been trending down since the early 1990’s. I look for leaders who don’t go overboard because we don’t want to do something that will reverse that overall trend.
I think the most notable aspect is that the few areas where the rates have trended up involve the use of guns. When we look closely at the “crime” problem, its more of a “gun crime” problem. Unfortunately, focusing on reducing the number of guns available seems to be a non-starter for some of our political leaders. If anything, they want to add more guns to the mix.
https://usafacts.org/state-of-the-union/crime/
Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 11:51 am
It is a shock and disappointment how Champaign has changed. We still pop over there occasionally for dinner (Bobo’s BBQ - well worth the 80minute drive, get extra cornbread for the ride home if you go) and the whole town has a different “feel”. I hope this trend can be reversed. The person above who brought up the “backlog” burying law enforcement I think hit the nail right on the head and drove it clean through the board. Work on that will go a long way.
Comment by Captain Obvious Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 12:34 pm
===how Champaign has changed===
I was there this summer for a late evening dinner. It’s not data, but my anectdote is I didn’t get one “vibe” like that. Not one. Not even close.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 12:41 pm
“how Champaign has changed”
More and deadlier firearms?
– MrJM
Comment by MisterJayEm Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 12:51 pm
Downtown Champaign is not dangerous. Downtown Urbana is not dangerous. I now live in C-U very close to Downtown Urbana — I have never felt unsafe at any of the any of the bars and restaurants we tend to frequent. It is unfortunately true that violent crime has hit certain communities in CU hard, and it’s also unfortunately true that now that violence has begun to spread out of what folks like Darren Bailey might have called the “bad” neighborhoods, it’s become a talking point for GOP officials who have no solutions but all the dog-whistling and general refusal to support the types of social programs that could help curb these types of crimes at the source.
Comment by Father Jones Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 1:09 pm
=We always hear about how gun violence in Chicago is supposedly Kim Foxx’s fault. I wonder if Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Reitz, a reliably “tough on crime” prosecutor who is the current President of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association, will face similar criticism. I won’t hold my breath . . .=
There aren’t people leaving Reitz’s office talking about how incompetent the current administration is. I’m sure there is turnover, but they aren’t openly talking with the local media about poor leadership and morale at this office.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 1:29 pm
Let’s remember the victims. Who they are, where they live, who their friends and family members are. Sad but dead bodies tell the tale and it’s a sad one.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 3:11 pm
Father Jones - downtown is not dangerous enough that the city has had to shut down certain parking lots after a certain hour and they’ve also contracted with a private security company who patrols the area. Dangerous may be a bit overkill, but to gloss over the fact that there have been many shootings down there gives the impression it’s perfectly safe.
Comment by SalukinCU Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 3:14 pm
@Almost There -
The Question you are avoiding is:
If rising crime in Cook County is the fault of the black state’s attorney in Cook county, why is rising crime in Champaign County not the fault of the white state’s attorney in Champaign County?
Take your time, please.
TY for pointing out Reitz heads the State’s Attorney’s Association, which has done a horrific job of educating and engaging its members in a productive way to address concerns with the SAF-T Act.
Hear is a great example of Reitz just not understanding the law:
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/state-officials-debate-over-cash-bail-removal
Meanwhile, here is a Man Bites Dog story, The Champaign Sheriff has good things to say about SAF-T:
https://newschannel20.com/newsletter-daily/cash-bail-removal-could-help-champaign-co-jail-staff-shortage
Cash bail reform could help jail staff shortages
“they’ve [The Sherriff’s Office] been working with the state’s attorney’s office to release those inmates charged with non-violent crimes such as retail theft and trespassing. Sheriff Dustin Heuerman doesn’t believe people accused of those types of offenses present a threat to the community.”
LP has been claiming there’s no one languishing in jail because they were shoplifting ang can’t pay bail. Clearly he’s wrong, and clearly Reitz knows there’s a problem with nonviolent offenders being jailed unnecessarily, she’s just not ready to admit it.
I know that Reitz has feuded with Ammons, and I always assumed the problem was Ammons…now I think Reitz might be the one with a problem.
Again, where are the guns coming from Julia?
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 3:15 pm
@ SalukinCU — I don’t mean to ignore the problem. Gun violence and violent crime more broadly are on the rise. I generally applaud the steps that CU local government has taken to address those things, although I do think more needs to be done to address the systemic problems that continue to underprivileged certain communities (I remain uncertain about the private security downtown). I’ll reiterate that I’ve never felt unsafe downtown, but I also understand that my anecdotal experience isn’t a universal. There are real problems in CU in the way of violent crime, and they have a real impact on people. What I don’t want to see happen, though, is the same demagoguing that seems to be happening on a state level around things like the SAFE-T Act be applied to the discussion of crime in CU and continue to marginalize the impact that real, community-focused policymaking can have. Our focus should be taking action to fix the problems that lead to violent crime, not fear mongering.
Comment by Father Jones Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 3:26 pm
Jones, Saluki, and Rich are all correct. Downtown Champaign and Urbana are relatively safe because there is typically a rapid and substantial response when they’re are shootings in those areas. Downtown bartenders and businesses demanded that the Champaign City Council act to hire private security, which is why they got the downtown security guards, plus they hired a bunch of downtown ambassadors who are unarmed and wear red shirts and keep an eye out. Ditto for campus. One might argue that there is less gun violence in areas where the response is more immediate and comprehensive. However, another criticism of the beefed up downtown security has also been that it has just pushed violence up to other places. Teenagers aren’t partying in downtown parking lots anymore. They’re partying in the lots of businesses on Bloomington Road. And yes, there are often shootings at those parties.
Comment by Dr. M Friday, Sep 30, 22 @ 4:12 pm