“Illinois is number one in per capita gang membership,” Kirk said. “For every 1,000 Illinois citizens, six are in a criminal gang. That’s the highest in the country.”
Police are trying to get a handle on street gangs in Chicago and the suburbs they say are largely responsible for the seemingly endless shootings and gun violence.
When it comes to gang violence, Illinois is a red state according the FBI’s map of worst places in the country. This state may be last in a lot of categories, but when it comes to gangs, we’re No. 1.
Senator Mark Kirk is pushing for federal aid to reverse that, surrounding himself with top lawmen from Chicago and the suburbs to fight seemingly insurmountable odds.
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