Chicago’s Underground Gun Market: Interviews with Cook County Gun Offenders

• In Event: Multi-city, Multi-method Underground Gun Market Study: A Qualitative Understanding of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston

Abstract

Gun violence poses a continued challenge, particularly to large cities such as Chicago. Despite an increased emphasis on evidence-based criminal justice system practices, too little is currently known regarding the most effective strategies to stanch the flow of guns from the licit to the illicit market. Conducting original data collection in the Cook County Jail, interviews with 100 detainees examine how gang-involved individuals acquire, manage, store and dispose of illegal guns in contrast to non-gang involved individuals. Further, we examine trafficking patterns among those deeply-involved in gangs to shed light on potential opportunities for enforcement efforts.

Author

• Harold Pollack, University of Chicago