WOODSTOCK – As violent crime continues to rise in Chicago, gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine says people need to look beyond the statistics and see the impact the crime wave is having on real people.
“It is easy to get lost in the numbers because the numbers are astonishing,” Rabine said. “But the real story is the impact violent crime is having on the everyday life of people. The victims of these crimes have friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. These people are the ones bearing the losses in their communities as part of their daily life.”
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Rabine has been meeting with people impacted by violent crime in the City of Chicago. Just recently, he sat down with Bella Luna Café owner Danny Alberga, who has made the decision to close his business at 10 pm to keep his employees and customers safe.
“This decision was made because violent crime has increased in areas in close proximity to the Bella Luna Café,” Rabine said. “The violence is hitting close to home for a lot of people, and they are having to make some big decisions as a result. It is not something that is happening somewhere to someone else – it is happening directly to them in their neighborhoods.”
Rabine noted that homicides have increased 33 percent compared to this time in 2019. During the recent Fourth of July holiday in Chicago, there was a record-breaking weekend for violence as more than 104 people were shot with 19 fatalities. At least 13 of the people shot were children.
“Children should not be shot in the streets,” Rabine said. “Murders should be on the decline – not on the rise. Business owners like Danny Alberga should be able to keep their usual business hours to serve their customers. Chicago is a world-class city. It should be safe. Honest people are living in fear. This has to change. I am calling on Gov. Pritzker to take immediate action to get the violence under control. The safety of Illinois residents should be the highest priority for our state’s leaders.”
