Chicago Resident Critiques Crime Statistics and Suggests National Guard Deployment

A resident of Chicago expressed skepticism on Tuesday about claims from local Democrats regarding decreasing crime rates, instead advocating for the involvement of President Donald Trump’s National Guard to address safety concerns. Ameenah Haqque shared her thoughts with CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild, suggesting that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson should consider working with Trump’s plan to combat crime.

Despite what officials say about crime being down, Haqque insisted that she and many others do not feel any safer in their city. “Crime has supposedly been declining since 2024, but do you feel the city is safer?” Wilde asked. Haqque straightforwardly responded, “No, not at all. Especially with how the police are being funded.”

Trump mentioned on Friday that after addressing issues in Washington, D.C., he might send the National Guard to Chicago to tackle crime. “Chicago is in disarray. Your mayor is ineffective, and the situation is dire. People in Chicago are calling for assistance,” he stated.

In 2021, Chicago recorded its highest murder rate in 25 years, with the numbers remaining notably elevated in comparison to the past decade, according to reports. As of August 26, there were 262 murders in the city, which is 117 fewer than in the previous year.

In response to Trump’s comments, Pritzker and Johnson accused him of misrepresenting the situation in Chicago and urged him to refrain from visiting. To counter the narrative that Chicago is unsafe, Pritzker released a video highlighting areas of the city with significantly lower crime rates on his social media account.

Both Pritzker and Johnson asserted that deploying Trump’s National Guard would infringe upon constitutional rights.