Gang members outnumber police officers in Chicago by nearly 10 to 1, according to official statistics.
So what
Chicago has become a poster child for a nationwide surge in both murders and police retirements as Democrats try to distance themselves from “defund the police” activism.
The numbers
Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivero said Monday — after another deadly weekend in Chicago — that 12,000 to 13,000 cops are policing 117,000 gang members in the city.
Cite your sources
The Office of Inspector General of Chicago found in a report last week that the Chicago Police Department actually has just 11,000 officers, among 13,000 employees — with cops leaving the force at a record pace.
Supt. David Brown said last year, alongside Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, that Chicago is home to more than 117,000 gang members, who belong to 55 “major gangs” with 2,500 sub-factions.
- Brown blamed gang retaliations for fueling a “cycle of violence” in the city.
Kicker
Brown attended a Monday White House summit about escalating urban violence during which President Joe Biden called for more federal funding of police.
- “We need a sense of urgency right now so we can save lives and serious consequences for those driving gun violence in our cities,” Brown tweeted afterward.
