(PatriotSpotlight.org) – With violent crime surging in Chicago, one city Alderman, Raymond Lopez, wants stiffer penalties for offenders who wear masks.
The move comes as robberies and crime sprees grew across the Windy City in 2023. All violent crime in the midwestern city has climbed by almost 8 percent in the last 12 months. Robberies accounted for some 37 percent of such incidents, which were reported. It comes as arrest figures fall to a half-decade of 10.8 percent, as many criminals don face coverings.
Presenting his plan to Chicago City Council’s public safety committee meeting, he said enhanced penalties, which would be added on top of conventional sentencing, ought to entail 10 days behind bars, a hefty $5,000 fine, along with up to 129 hours of community service.
“Everyone wearing masks while taking over communities” is what extreme political activists were backing, not ordinary people, Lopez stated via social media.
Lopez’s plan has been criticized by some of his colleagues, with ex-CPD detective Ald. Chris Taliaferro raised possible impacts on the city’s “Black and brown community”.
The People’s Fabric pressure group echoed similar complaints, stating that historically, enhanced penalties have disproportionately targeted certain communities. The group warned about the wide scope of Lopez’s ordinance, which covers any criminal offense, including those committed by political demonstrators.
Lopez remains steadfast, emphasizing that only those committing crimes should be concerned about the extra penalties. Nonetheless, Taliaferro questions whether Lopez’s approach is the right one, suggesting that such measures might be more appropriately addressed at the state level rather than by the City Council. “I certainly believe that this is something that he needs to be talking to our state legislators about rather than the city council,” Taliaferro noted. The timing of this proposal is notable, with the Democratic National Convention set to commence on August 19 in Chicago’s downtown area, an event expected to draw large protests and increased security concerns.
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