>>> THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS SOLVED AN AVERAGE OF 50% OF THE CITIES HOMICIDES PER YEAR.

THAT NUMBER KNOWN AS A CLEARANCE RATE FOR BLACK VICTIMS IS EVEN LOWER.

THAT IS ACCORDING TO LIVE FREE CHICAGO WHICH SAID THIS FAILURE TO SOLVE HOMICIDES IS ITSELF A ROOT CAUSE OF VIOLENCE.

JOINING US WITH MORE IS THE LEAD CHICAGO ORGANIZER WITH LIVE FREE CHICAGO.

WE REACHED OUT TO THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SENT US A STATEMENT.

WELCOME BACK.

FIRST, LET'S DEFINE WHAT A CLEARANCE RATE IS.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> IT IS THE RATE AT WHICH LAW ENFORCEMENT SOLVE HOMICIDES.

THAT EQUATION LOOKS LIKE THE AMOUNT OF HOMICIDES THAT ARE CLEARED THROUGH ARREST OR PROSECUTION DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF TOTAL HOMICIDES THAT HAPPEN WITHIN A YEAR.

>> THERE ARE TWO WAYS FOR HOMICIDE TO BE CLEARED EITHER THROUGH PROSECUTION OR EXCEPTIONAL MEANS.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

>> PROSECUTION IS THE STATE'S ATTORNEY CHARGING SOMEONE FOR A HOMICIDE.

EXCEPTIONAL MEANS IS A TERM USED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT TO EXPLAIN THAT THEY HAVE CLEARED A CASE TO CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WERE IN THEIR CONTROL.

THIS IS DUE TO A PERSON THEY FOUND AS A SUSPECT IN A CASE DYING OR BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN BARRED TO PROSECUTION WHICH MEANS THE STATE'S ATTORNEY DID NOT DETERMINED THERE WAS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO PROSECUTE SOMEONE.

>> IN 2021 HOMICIDE CLEARANCE RATES BY PROSECUTION WAS 21.7% IN PREDOMINANTLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS.

45.6 NEIGHBORHOODS IN PREDOMINANTLY WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS DRIVING THIS DISPARITY?

>> I THINK IT IS LACK OF TRUST WITH COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE LACK OF CARE THAT IS GIVEN TO BLACK COMMUNITIES WHEN DEALING WITH HOMICIDES.

I THINK EVEN THE WAY THEY ARE CLEARING THE CASES HAS TO DO WITH THAT.

WHEN YOU CLEAR A LOT OF CASES BY EXCEPTIONAL MEANS THAT MEANS WE DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF EVIDENCE OR DOING PROCEDURAL THINGS WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THESE THINGS ARE SEEN THROUGH.

AND ALSO IN WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS THEY MAY HAVE THOSE RESOURCES AND CONNECTIONS TO DO THAT PROPERLY.

>> IS IT POSSIBLE SOMEONE COULD MAKE YOU THE ARGUMENT THAT THE CASELOAD IN SOME COMMUNITIES IS SO HEAVY THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO PROSECUTE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THAT IS AN ARGUMENT.

WHEN PORTION IS WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW THIS PROCESS LOOKS.

WE CAN HAVE TONS OF PATROL OFFICERS WHO ARE COMING IN AND ADDING TO THE AREA IN BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS.

IF WE DON'T HAVE DETECTIVES TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, YOU WILL LOOK AT HIGH CASELOADS.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE TO TAKE AND WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, THEN YOU WILL LOOK AT DISPARITIES.

I THINK EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY A LOT OF OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE CIVILIAN PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING WITH INVESTIGATIONS LOOKING INTO EVIDENCE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

CPD DOES NOT HAVE THAT CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.

HOW DO WE BUILD THAT INFRASTRUCTURE ?

>> CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT DID SEND US A STATEMENT.

IT READS "THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT DETECTIVES WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO IDENTIFY AND APPREHEND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR SENSELESS VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

ALL HOMICIDES ARE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED AS WE SEEK JUSTICE FOR EVERY VICTIM AND THEIR FAMILIES.

THESE INVESTIGATIONS CAN TAKE TIME, BASED ON EVIDENCE AVAILABLE AND COMPLEXITY OF THE CASE OUR DETECTIVES REMAIN COMMITTED TO SOLVING THE CASES AND BRINGING A SMALL MEASURE OF PEACE TO THE FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES.

WHAT IS THE REACTION YOU HEARD FROM FAMILIES WHO SAID THEY ARE NOT GETTING CLOSURE?

>> I THINK FAMILIES IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE ESPECIALLY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY ARE BEING OVER POLICED AND UNDER PROTECTED.

WHEN POLICE OFFICERS ARE COMING IN TO FAMILY MEMBERS COMMUNITY HOMES, THEY ARE NOT TREATING THE LOVED ONES WITH CARE.

THEY ARE TELLING THEM TO FIND THE INFORMATION THEMSELVES AND INVESTIGATE THEMSELVES.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS AND EQUIPPED TO GO DO WHAT DETECTIVES ARE DOING.

THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE FUNDED TO DO.

A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE FEELING LIKE THEY ARE BEING CRIMINALIZED WHILE ALSO SEEKING CLOSURE DURING HOMICIDE CASES.

>> YOUR REPORT POINTS TO THE DISPARITY IN HOMICIDE CLEARANCE RATES WHERE WOMEN ARE THE VICTIMS.

SINCE 2001 THE UNSOLVED HOMICIDES FOR BLACK WOMEN IS AT 35% COMPARED TO 23% FOR WHITE WOMEN.

YOUR REPORT TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED THE PERFECT VICTIM NARRATIVE.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> IT IS THE MANNER IN WHICH PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE OR VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE HAVE TO BE PERFECT.

ANY BLEMISH IN THEIR PAST OR STORY COULD DEEM THEM AS LESS WORTHY OF HAVING THE CASE SOLVED.

AND THOSE LIMITS IS THAT DEEM THEM LESS WORTHY ARE CHARACTERISTICS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN IMPOVERISHED NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE IN THEIR BACKGROUNDS.

SO AGAIN, IT IS UNREALISTIC.

EVERY FAMILY DESERVES THE CLOSURE, THE ATTENTION AND CARE WHEN DEALING WITH HOMICIDES.

>> HOW IS THE FAILURE TO SOLVE ANY OF THESE HOMICIDES, NOT JUST THOSE FOR WOMEN BUT HOW IS THAT A ROOT CAUSE OF VIOLENCE?

>> IT PERPETUATES THE VIOLENCE.

IF SOMEONE CAN GET AWAY WITH MURDER 85% OF THE TIME IT TELLS US THERE IS NO ONE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE.

WE ARE NOT CALLING FOR HARSHER STRATEGIES BUT CLOSURE FOR FAMILIES.

WE ARE SAYING THIS PROCESS IS NOT TRANSPARENT.

WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT IS THE POLICE BUDGET GOING TO WORD?

A LOT OF OTHER PROGRAMS, IF THEIR EFFICACY ISN'T PROVEN THAT A LOT OF PROGRAMS GET CUT.

THEY ARE ELIMINATED.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DISPARITIES WE ARE SEEING THAT PERPETUATES THE VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO I NEED TO TAKE THIS INTO MY OWN HANDS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE HERE TO DO IT AREN'T.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY NEEDS TO CHANGE ?

>> I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OF A CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.

THERE NEEDS TO BE PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GREATLY IMPACTED WHO CAN GO IN AND HANDLE EVIDENCE THE DAY AN INCIDENT HAPPENS.

PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE AND WILLING TO HANDLE THE FAMILIES AND CASES WITH CARE FROM THE INCIDENT ALL THE WAY TO PROSECUTION.

AND JUST LOOKING AT HOW DO WE START LOOKING AT THE INVESTMENT TO COMMUNITIES ON THE FRONT END.

HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE PROACTIVE RESOURCES AND ACCESSIBILITY TO RESOURCES TO GET FAMILIES WHAT THEY NEED LIKE MENTAL HEALTH CARE, TRAUMA CARE.

GUN VIOLENCE IS HUGE IN THESE COMMUNITIES.

SO THE HEALING THAT IS NEEDED TO BE A