Chicago just recorded the most homicides during the month of September since 2002,
the Chicago Tribune reports.
Sixty people died by homicide in September, and through September 27, homcides and shootings had risen 21 percent from 2014.
Mayor Rahm Emmanuel blamed the rise on police officers afraid to do their jobs in the wake of criticisms of police actions in the deaths of black men from Ferguson, Mo., to Baltimore.
"We have allowed our Police Department to get fetal, and it is having a direct consequence. They have pulled back from the ability to interdict," Emanuel said. "They don't want to be a news story themselves, they don't want their career ended early, and it's having an impact."
Local police union president Dean Angelo denied police are backing off their jobs.
"They don't stop policing. They're a very resilient group," Angelo said. "They're out there working their buns off, and they're looking for a fair shake. They go to work and positively impact people in their everyday lives."
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