McHenry Times

Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) weighed in on surging levels of violent crime in Chicago, specifically a violent confrontation on July 3 in Chicago where a violent mob attacked a state trooper's vehicle.

The Illinois State Police (ISP) recently posted a video on Facebook of a violent incident that happened just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, July 3, 2022 at Division St. and Elston Ave. in Chicago. 

"The Illinois State Police is investigating mob action that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, when people from a mob of 100 began swarming a trooper’s vehicle, jumped on the hood, broke the windshield, kicked the vehicle, and threw rocks, bricks, and fireworks," Ugaste wrote in a July 7 Facebook post.

"This is part of an unacceptable rise in crime in our state. These senseless acts of violence have Illinoisans living in fear of criminals and our law enforcement officers aren’t receiving the support and resources they need and deserve. I urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to consider already filed House Republican legislation to address this increase in crime and Back the Badge."

"If you have information related to Sunday’s mob action, please call the ISP District Chicago office at 847-294-4400."

SafeWise's annual 2022 State of Safety survey found that only 42% of Illinois residents report feeling safe, while 64% reported feeling "high daily concern" for their safety. 13% of respondents reported experiencing gun violence firsthand, an increase from 8% the previous year. Mass shooting incidents in Illinois increased by 25% from 2020 to 2021.

Over 4th of July weekend this year, 68 people were shot in Chicago, including 8 who were killed, WTTW reported.

So far this year as of July 3, there have been 323 murders, 1,295 shooting incidents, 1,011 criminal sexual assaults, 4,026 robberies, 2,837 aggravated batteries, 3,587 burglaries, 8,683 thefts, and 6,500 motor vehicle thefts have been reported in the city of Chicago, according to data from the Chicago Police Department.