An Armistice in Chicago’s Drug War
When it comes to narcotics, Chicago is turning the other cheek, but to whom?
Let’s face it — Chicago has a bit of a reputation problem. Long gone are the days of H.H. Holmes and Al Capone and yet controversial names like ‘Chi-Raq’ remind us that Chicago has a reputation where crime and violence reign supreme.
But where does Chicago stand in 2019? Using data obtained from the Chicago Data Portal let’s try to illuminate what is really happening in our city, separating reality from hyperbole — fact from fiction.
The data reveals a steady decline in recorded crime. Nine out of the top ten most common crimes in the city of Chicago declined from 2002–2018.
One area that has seen the steepest decline in recorded offenses is narcotics.
Drug arrests have declined consistently since 2007. Most notably, marijuana offenses have fallen to record lows.
Prior to 2012, the punishment for offenders caught with small amounts of marijuana in Chicago was a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to six months in jail, and a fine of up to $1,500. In 2016, Illinois law reduced punishment for under 10 grams of marijuana to a $100–200 fine.
It is clear that Chicago has made a commitment to decriminalize the use of small amounts of marijuana. What is not clear is whether all communities in the city have benefitted equally from these reforms.
The heat maps to the left reveals the communities that have benefitted the most from the reforms in Chicago’s drug laws. Marijuana related offenses have decreased across the board, yet it appears the west and south sides still comprise of the majority of offenses.
All other narcotics offenses have noticeably fallen in the more affluent north side but appear to have remained strong throughout the south and western communities.
Does Chicago have a class problem when it comes to enforcing its drug laws?
Historically, the answer is an unequivocal yes. However Chicago is an evolving city and although the impact of relaxed drug enforcement is visually most notable in wealthier communities, the gap is quickly closing.
