In the summer of 2020, the idea of social workers being the solution to crime was a popular narrative.
While many left-leaning individuals have since moved away from this rhetoric, remnants of this belief persist. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee for New York City, appears eager to resurrect this narrative. However, the effectiveness of this approach is contingent on the social workers themselves not being criminals.
This should be self-evident, much like the fact that a police officer cannot be a thief. Yet, in Chicago, under the governance of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, this is not just a theoretical issue.
As reported by local crime news outlet CWB Chicago, an individual employed as an "anti-violence worker" by the city was recently sentenced to 22 years in prison. This sentence came after the individual was involved in "a string of violent carjackings in West Englewood that left one victim shot and others threatened at gunpoint."
The report from CWB Chicago detailed the sentencing of 23-year-old Jamari Edwards, who confessed in April to carjacking three people in a single week in August 2022. Edwards also pleaded guilty to federal firearm charges related to these crimes. The first carjacking, according to prosecutors, took place on August 6, 2022, at a Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru.
Edwards entered the passenger seat of a man's car, brandished a firearm, and ordered the man to exit the vehicle. After the victim complied, Edwards shot him in the leg, frisked him at gunpoint, and stole his wallet and phone before driving away in the victim's car.
This incident raises questions about the effectiveness of employing "peacekeepers" who do not undergo the same rigorous training or background checks as police officers. The same day that CWB Chicago published this report, seven men were charged in a robbery that resulted in a felony murder.
Prosecutors allege that these men were "part of a crash-and-grab burglary crew that killed a motorist while fleeing a break-in at the Louis Vuitton store on Michigan Avenue this week."
While most of the men involved had significant arrest records, one of them was a so-called "peacekeeper" in Chicago, according to a source close to the investigation. The men were apprehended after fleeing the scene of a burglary where merchandise valued between $500,000 and $1 million was stolen.
During their escape in six vehicles, a 40-year-old driver was killed when one of the getaway vehicles collided with an SUV at the intersection of Michigan Ave. and Ohio Street.
The deceased driver, Mark Carlo Arceta, was reportedly on his way to work his last shift at Northwestern University before going on paternity leave. His partner, Roanne Masangkay, mourned the loss, stating, "We're having a baby right now. He's supposed to be with us. They took a very loving father, a really good partner, and very good dad."
The "peacemaker" involved in the incident, 35-year-old Keller McMillan, was not driving the vehicle that allegedly killed Arceta. However, McMillan, who had a significant arrest record and was wanted on an out-of-state warrant, now faces charges of murder, burglary, theft, and three counts of fugitive from justice with an out-of-state warrant, according to WGN.
This incident serves as a stark reminder that this program is part of Gov. Pritzker's agenda. The state was set to spend $30 million in fiscal year 2024 on the program to try to replace police officers in violent neighborhoods, according to The Center Square.
The group's founder, Tio Hardiman, told The Center Square that his group in Chicago had made strides in addressing some of the root causes of crime but did suggest increased funding to expand their operation.
However, the effectiveness of this approach remains questionable, given the recent incidents involving "peacekeepers." As Pritzker potentially prepares for a presidential campaign, it's crucial to consider the potential implications of his policies on a national scale. The hope is that the United States will never have to experience the potential consequences of these policies.
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