Do you know who really hates cold weather? Gangbangers.
Back in February, when it was really, really cold, and really, really snowy, I was talking to a former gang member turned private investigator who lives in Englewood. He scoffed at the notion that better policing was responsible for the city’s remarkable drop in homicides.
“It’s too cold for these knuckleheads,” he said. “They’re not going to stand outside and shoot each other in this weather.”
The endless winter of 2013 may cause Chicago to lose its title as Murder City, U.S.A. In February, we had the fewest homicides of any month since 1957. And in April, we had 24, making this the safest April since 1964. This is the first time since 1963 we’ve had fewer than 100 homicides in the first four months of a year.
Chicago Politics
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the first truly warm night of the year, the gangs celebrated the arrival of spring with three murders and 17 shootings.
It’s cold again today. The temperature is in the 50s. The forecast is for brisk weather all weekend. Don’t complain. This weather may be saving someone’s life -- and Chicago’s image.
