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U.S. NEWSTuesday 2 February 2016
Police say Chicago homicides climbed dramatically in January
DON BABWIN In this Dec. 30, 2015 file photo, Chicago interim Police Superintendent John Escalante speaks at a video. Even when they’re
Associated Press news conference in Chicago. doing something right,
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago they’re concerned that
saw a dramatic spike in the Associated Press their actions will be ques-
number of homicides and tioned and they will be the
shootings in January — the after a policy change that be that officers are tak- ing through training now one that goes viral.”
bloodiest start to a year in went into effect this year ing more time to fill out the to help them deal with the Chicago has become a
at least 16 years and a blow requires officers to fill out forms as they adjust to the new forms, he said. national symbol of gun vio-
to a police force struggling lengthier forms than the change, preventing them Escalante also said officers lence since at least 2012,
to regain public trust follow- brief “contact cards” they from making more stops, have expressed concerns when the number of ho-
ing the release of a video used through 2015. It could he said. Officers are go- “about being the next viral micides climbed past the
of a white officer fatally 500 mark, far higher than
shooting a black teen. any other U.S. city. With
In a news release Monday, police initiating a number
Chicago police reported of crime-fighting measures
that 51 homicides were and spending millions of
committed in the city last dollars on overtime, the
month, compared with 29 in city saw the total fall closer
January 2015. The number to 400 in each of the next
of shooting incidents more two years, and 2014 ended
than doubled, from 119 last with the fewest homicides
January to 242 this January. in decades. But last year
The number of shooting the number of homicides
victims increased from 136 and shooting incidents rose
to 292. “We can’t put our again. There has been a
finger on” specific reasons growing concern that the
for the increase, the city’s rising number of shootings
interim police superinten- and homicides in Chicago,
dent, John Escalante, said. and around the country,
But he noted the increase can be linked to less ag-
coincides with an equal- gressive policing following
ly dramatic decrease in high-profile officer shoot-
the number of street stops ings, some of which were
made in January. He noted caught on camera and in-
that the decrease come flamed public outrage.q
Uber drivers in NYC protest company’s fare cut
VERENA DOBNIK killing the yellow cab indus- “Every city has busy months
Associated Press try and other car services.” and slow times. In New
NEW YORK (AP) — Uber The popular ride-sharing York things tend to be qui-
drivers in New York City app announced the price eter after the holidays. So
called Monday for a strike reduction Friday. A compa- we lowered prices to get
to protest the company’s ny spokesman said its data more people using Uber,
decision to cut fares by 15 shows the fare reductions which is good for drivers
percent, as drivers rallied at are actually helping driv- because it means less time
the ride-sharing app’s New ers earn more money by waiting around for trips,”
York headquarters. drumming up business. The said spokesman Matt Wing.
Several hundred attend- spokesman said if the lower “As we have always said,
ed the protest, but it’s not prices don’t work, they’ll be price cuts need to work for
clear how many would rolled back. drivers.”q
heed the call for a shut-
down. The company has Uber drivers and their supporters hold signs during a rally at an
roughly 30,000 registered Uber office in New York, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. Some Uber driv-
vehicles in New York City. ers in New York City say they are going on strike to protest the
Mohammed Rahman, a company’s decision to cut fares in the city by 15 percent.
driver from the Bronx who’s
been in the business for two Associated Press
decades, said the cost cut
is too deep. Drivers cover ing to get the word out to thing with the low rates
their own insurance, pay- colleagues with fliers and that Uber imposed on the
ments on vehicles and gas. social media. But thou- drivers, we should cripple
“Before, we made little, sands of cars still were on the city, so New Yorkers
not much — but enough to the road, many because know what’s happening
feed the family,” said the they had not heard about to us,” said Rajko Ljutica,
father of two. “But this is re- the labor action. Uber driv- a longtime driver who has
ally, really bad.” ers aren’t unionized in New worked for other limo com-
The drivers behind the York. panies he says are now be-
work stoppage were try- ing choked by Uber. “Uber
“In order to change some- is like a spreading cancer,
