New book challenges conventional wisdom on Chicago shootings
WGN News
[{'start': '9.275', 'end': '11.277', 'text': "STORY, ONE OF EVERYTHING WE   UNDERSTOOD ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE   WAS WRONG. THAT'S A   PROVOCATIVE QUESTION BEHIND A   NEW BOOK FROM THE DIRECTOR.   >> THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO'S   CRIME LAB WGN'S MIKE LOWE   REPORT.   >> MIKE LOWE: DORCHESTER   AVENUE RUNS THROUGH CHICAGO'S   SOUTH SIDE FOR MORE THAN 50   BLOCKS.   >> PATRICK ELWOOD: WHY IS THIS   SIGNIFICANT STREET IN THE CITY   OF CHICAGO? SO HERE WE ARE IN   DORCHESTER AND 71ST EASY TREE   RECYCLING IS RIGHT BEHIND WHEN   YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHAT   SHOOTINGS ARE IN CHICAGO.   >> MIKE LOWE: UNIVERSITY OF   CHICAGO BEHAVIORAL ECONOMIST   YOUNG'S SAYS THIS SECTION OF   THE STREET IS A STUDY AND WHAT   WE DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT GUN   VIOLENCE RIGHT BEHIND YOU.   >> IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND   GREATER GRAND CROSSING RIGHT   BEHIND ME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF   DORCHESTER IS SOUTH SHORE.   CONVENTIONAL WISDOM SAYS THAT   BOTH NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD HAVE   IDENTICAL GUN VIOLENCE, RIGHT?   IN THE SENSE THAT THE   SOCIOECONOMIC RACIAL MAKEUP   BASICALLY I ACT. SOCIOECONOMIC   AND RACIAL MAKEUP IS ALMOST   IDENTICAL. THEY'RE SERVED BY   EXACTLY THE SAME COURT SYSTEM   IN PRISON SYSTEM IN JAILS.   THEY HAVE EXACTLY THE GUN   LAWS. WEST OF DORCHESTER AND   EAST. AND YET THE SHOOTING   RATE IN GREATER GRAND CROSSING   ON THE SIDE OF DORCHESTER IS   FULLY TWICE AS HIGH AS IT IS   IN SOUTH SHORE.   >> MIKE LOWE: WHAT ACCOUNTS   FOR THAT DISPARITY? IT TURNS   OUT GREATER GRAND CROSSING HAS   50% MORE VACANT. LOTS THAN   SOUTH SHORE. AND ABOUT 20,000   FEWER RESIDENTS. SOUTH SHORES,   MORE DESIRABLE LAKEFRONT   LOCATION MEANS THERE'S MORE   RETAIL RESTAURANTS AND   RESIDENTS. IT GIVES YOU LOTS   MORE EYES ON THE STREET. EYES   ON THE STREET. THE PEOPLE WHO   MAY WITNESS AND STOP DISPUTES   BEFORE THEY BECOME DEADLY   CRIME SCENES. SAYS SOCIAL   INTERVENTION MAY BE THE MOST   IMPORTANT FACTOR IN REDUCING   VIOLENCE IN THE SHORT TERM.   IT'S AN IDEA THAT RUNS   CONTRARY TO THE CONVENTIONAL   WISDOM, THE VIOLENCE REDUCTION   IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH EITHER   HARSHER LEGAL PENALTIES OR   STRONGER SOCIAL PROGRAMS.   >> WHAT BOTH OF THOSE   CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS GET   WRONG SHOOTINGS ARE NOT   PREMEDITATED. THEY'RE NOT   MOTIVATED BY ECONOMIC   CONSIDERATIONS. SHOOTINGS. ARE   THEY START WITH WORDS? GARDEN   VARIETY ARGUMENTS THEY   ESCALATE, GO SIDEWAYS AND THE   END IN TRAGEDY. CAN SOMEONE'S   GOT TO GO? IN FACT?   >> MIKE LOWE: 80% OF THE   SHOOTINGS IN CHICAGO ARISE   FROM THOSE TEMPORARY MOMENTS   OF STRESS ON THE STREET. IT'S   A SUBJECT THAT LEWD WITH HAS   BEEN RESEARCHING FOR YEARS AS   THE DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY   OF CHICAGO'S CRIME LAB. IT'S   ONE OF THE KEY FINDINGS OF HIS   NEW BOOK ON FORGIVING PLACES.   THE UNEXPECTED ORIGINS OF   AMERICAN GUN VIOLENCE. WHAT DO   YOU MEAN BY UNFORGIVING   PLACES?   >> YOU KNOW, IN IN SOME WAYS,   AMERICA ITSELF. HAS BEEN   CONSTRUCTED IS AN UNFORGIVING   PLACE WHERE A COUNTRY OF   330 MILLION PEOPLE. WE HAVE   400 MILLION GUNS.   >> MIKE LOWE: BUT THAT'S NOT   AN ISSUE LIKELY TO BE   ADDRESSED ON A NATIONAL LEVEL.   INSTEAD, LUDWIG SAYS CITIES   LIKE CHICAGO, MOST FOCUS ON   REALISTIC SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS   LIKE USING DATA TO SEND POLICE   OFFICERS AND VIOLENCE   INTERRUPTERS TO THE AREAS MOST   LIKELY TO SEE ARGUMENTS BECOME   SHOOTIN. THE UNFORGIVING   PLACES. WE HAVE TO HAVE   HOLISTIC APPROACH. MAYOR   BRANDON JOHNSON AND OTHER   LEADERS HAVE STRESSED THE NEED   FOR A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH   TO VIOLENCE THAT WOULD ADDRESS   EDUCATION, ECONOMICS, POVERTY,   POLICING THE JUSTICE SYSTEM   AND THE FAMILY STRUCTURE YOU   NEED TO SOLVE EVERY SOCIAL   PROBLEM IN ORDER TO REDUCE GUN   VIOLENCE. THE GOOD NEWS IS   THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SOLVE.   >> LITERALLY EVERY OTHER   PROBLEM IN SOCIETY TO TO   REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THE   GUN VIOLENCE PROBLEM IN THE   BOOK, LOU WOOD ARGUES SMALL    STEPS LIKE TURNING VACANT LOTS   INTO PARKS OR TEACHING SKILLS   LIKE IMPULSE CONTROL IN   SCHOOLS.   >> MIKE LOWE: COULD GO A LONG   WAY IN THE SHORT TERM.   >> AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF   THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT ARE   VERY PRACTICAL AND FEASIBLE.   ALL DON'T TAKE A LOT OF MONEY   CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.   STARTING LIKE YESTERDAY.   >> MIKE LOWE: WOODWARD SAYS   CHICAGO MUST BEGIN TO SEE GUN   VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM TO BE   SOLVED. NOT A CRISIS TO BE   TOLERATED, WHETHER IT'S ON   DORCHESTER AVENUE OR ANY OTHER   DIVIDING LINE IN THIS CITY."}]