Chicago City Wire

Tio Hardiman, executive director of Violence Interrupters, said Black leaders must step up and change the culture.

Hardiman said on Chicago's Morning Answer on Oct. 10 that it's time for a change for the Black community through better directions and influence from its Black community leaders. 

"Well, when it comes down to a lot of people that are involved in the criminal lifestyle, a lot of them believe that nothing will happen to them as a result of some of the different laws that have been passed,” Hardiman said. “It's unfortunate because of the carjacking situations ... robberies and everything that's taken place in Chicago. Gun violence. [A] three-year-old was shot and killed a week ago. Seven-year-old [was] shot and people doing the best they can do to just survive Chicago, believe it or not. So you have like once again, you have a lot of liberal people in particular that continue to push ... policy changes with the bail system not understand and to take into account the victims. You don't talk to a person that has been shot. You know, they're in their houses or just going to the store and your car's being jacked. Someone beats you up and throws you out of your car. If you talk to the victims of the crimes, that's the reason why they did not pass those types of policies until they include victims of crime." 

And because of these matters, Hardiman said he needs to always speak up.  

"A lot of guys feel nothing's going to happen to them," he said. "They feel like they can just do whatever they choose or whenever they get ready. That's what's going on in Chicago right now."

Hardiman joined Chicago's Morning Answer with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson, to discuss crime in Chicago. Hardiman says the gun violence issue in the Black community is not about money; it's about culture. Hardiman calls out rappers for rapping about violent content, like killing people, in their songs. He went on to call out Black leaders for failing to address this problem in their community. 

"But until Black leadership changes the culture in the Black community, we will still, Black folks will still become victims, unfortunately, of gun violence and crime," he said. 

Hardiman went on to talk about the history of the Black community's relationship with the Democratic Party, adding, "In my community, a lot of our people do not really understand the Republican Party." Hardiman ended the interview by placing the blame for the crime and the dire state of Black neighborhoods in Chicago at the feet of the Democratic leadership in the city.

According to a March 1, Chicago Sun-Times article, 88 people were murdered in Chicago year to date, which was up from 85 the previous year. There was a 15% rise in aggravated batteries, a 10% rise in robberies, and a 9% rise in sexual assaults. Also, according to the same article, theft was up 61%; burglaries were up by 31%, and motor vehicle thefts increased by 45%. The last category does not include carjackings, as the city classifies carjackings as "vehicles taken by force." The article also noted, "At least 386 people have been shot in Chicago this year compared to 236 at this time in 2019. There have been 92 murders this year compared to 47 over the same period in 2019."