Chicago Raises Its Own Criminals.
There is material in this subject for earnest thought. Men under
twenty-five are responsible for 75 per cent of crimes committed in
Chicago, and 50 per cent of robberies and burglaries are done by boys
under nineteen.
If that is true, then the idea many people have had that crimes in
this city are mostly committed by a roving army of criminals, alien
to Chicago and attracted hither by one cause or another, must be
abandoned. If it is true, then Chicago itself is responsible for most
crimes committed here. The men who are guilty have grown up in this
environment, which has given them the evil impetus under which they
act.
The thought that Chicago boys are the criminals who terrorize the
city, rob houses and flats, hold up citizens on the streets and
assault women is distressing. It was much pleasanter to attribute
these crimes to desperate men from elsewhere, descending upon Chicago
like raiders and leaving the city again as soon as possible. But that
is a misconception. We ourselves have reared most of our criminals.
They are a Chicago product. They have received their notions of right
and wrong here among us. We are responsible for them.
What is the matter with Chicago? What are the elements in its life
that breed criminals? What causes thousands of young boys to take up a
criminal life? What must we do to change conditions?
These are questions that should engage every good citizen in anxious
endeavor to find answers to them. If we are to reform criminals and
lessen crime, we must first learn how to reform our own city.