Chicago’s crime problem isn’t much worse than any other community on a per capita basis. It seems most cities and towns have a gang and drug problem. How to solve the problem is another thing they have in common.

            Let’s face it; Sheriff Andy Taylor in Mayberry doesn’t exist in today’s world. Andy didn’t usually carry a gun and even against armed bad guys he seldom used one. Today’s cops wear armored vests and carry semi-automatic pistols with high capacity magazines. Next is the controversial part of being a cop today: when to shoot and go home and when to think twice and go to the morgue. In the nano-second of the confrontation the cop must decide if the item in the person’s hand is a phone, a toy, or a gun. Does he or she still have the gun seen a few moments ago, and could that hand motion mean the gun is about to be pointed at the cop? Child or adult doesn’t matter since pre-teens are killers today.

            Too often well meaning people parade around protesting about crime one day and the next day police activity. Some prosecutors’ and judges think leniency is the solution. Low or no bail is the current fad which puts arrested people back on the street where they commit more crimes.

            We have more people in prison than any other country and the highest rate of recidivism. Clearly we have many problems in our criminal justice system. Much of it was passed for Andy to use in today’s world where little kids are given guns so they can shoot another kid in a drive by or an adult to kill a group in a park, store or church. No, we all have a problem!