As a recent statement from the remnants of the Chicago Police Department claims that 57% of the suspects of recent carjackings in 2022 are juveniles, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot stated to the young people at a townhall gathering on the subject of public safety “there are too many young people in this room who do not feel loved, too many, and we’ve got to change that around if we’re going to change around the trajectory of their lives.”
“The mayor said Chicago cannot ‘arrest ourselves’ out of public safety problems,” claimed a report from Fox 32.
However, at a meeting of youths talking about carjackings, when questioned by CNN “what did you see when you’re on the ground on a day-to-day basis with carjackings going on,” a young man offered up an answer, “I think most of the people that do carjackings, they do carjackings because they’re either bored and they don’t have nothing else or they do it off of peer pressure.”
The CEO and founder of the CHAMPS Male Mentoring Program, Vondale Singleton, stated to CNN, “Our young men have a lot of time on their hands; schools shut down and they were bored, so they’re out here joyriding and they don’t understand the ramifications of their actions and choices and decisions that they make …”
Another statement was issued to CNN by Sergeant Ebony Bullock of the South Fulton Police in Georgia, “So the most important thing is being aware of your surroundings. Make sure that you’re in a well-lit area; you’re not by yourself, and you’re not fumbling when you get to your car and not distracted. … You’re staying vigilant when you’re alone because that’s when you become a prime target.”
Just last week, however, Kwame Amoaku, the head of Chicago’s Film Office and aged 51, was sent to intensive care in the wake of being the victim of an attack by three juveniles trying to rush him to steal his car, and it was quite early in the morning at the time.
At about 8 in the morning on Wednesday just outside his house located near the National Museum of Mexican Art, Amoaku spotted a group of three young men sitting inside his car. When he called them out for it, They proceeded to assault him and then took off from the scene in an SUV only to show back up a few minutes later and attack him once again before proceeding to steal the car anyway. He has posted on Facebook since, stating, “This AM I was attacked, beaten, and my car stolen by three kids. Thanks to all who have reached out. I’m in the ICU, I’m going to be ok.”
His daughter continued the update on Facebook, “My dad was viciously attacked outside his home. He will be unable to work or cook for himself. Please donate if you are able. You never think this would happen to your family. Until it does.”