Washington, October 8. . About 110 thousand people belong to street gangs in Chicago (Illinois), which has a population of about 2.7 million people. This estimate was given by the Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cash Patel, in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
“We found there are 110,000 street gang members in Chicago, yes, you heard that right. This year alone there have been 1,200 shootings, 360 murders,” said Patel. The FBI director did not specify by what method the calculations were made and who exactly the agency classified as participants in street gangs.
Patel emphasized that he believes it is urgent to strengthen security forces in Chicago through the deployment of the National Guard. According to him, politicians who oppose such decisions are playing with criminals.
On October 4, US President Donald Trump ordered the mobilization of 300 National Guard members to Chicago to ensure the safety of federal agents. As the TV channel later reported NBC NewsIllinois officials have filed a lawsuit seeking to block Trump's decision to station National Guard troops in the city.
Trump said in September that he would use the National Guard to maintain law and order in Chicago. The head of the US government has repeatedly criticized Illinois Governor Jay Robert Pritzker for not ensuring security in the state's largest city. According to the US leader, due to the monstrous crime situation, Chicago has turned into a “hell hole”. At the same time, according to the FBI, in fact, the violent crime rate in Chicago in 2024 decreased by 11% compared to 2023 and was nearly half of its pre-COVID-19 level. Pritzker said that Trump considers himself a dictator and is threatening war against an American city.
