Teresa Ging is considering moving her small business out of Chicago, saying the crime crisis has become a daily problem that is not being addressed.
Ging’s business, Sugar Bliss Cakes, was vandalized Friday by a man who then attempted to steal a customer’s purse. She said two other criminal incidents were reported in her area since then.
"I've never had crime this badly in Chicago," she said on "America’s Newsroom" Wednesday. "All these petty crimes are becoming larger issues."
Ging told host Trace Gallagher that nothing is being done to address the crime crisis.
She said the laws being put in place are, in fact, making the problem worse.
Illinois’ Safe-T Act will eliminate cash bail starting January 1, 2023. Advocates say it will benefit people behind bars who can’t make bail, but critics like Ging argue it will create a "revolving door" effect.
"They go to jail, come out of jail, do the same crime again, can hit the same places," Ging said. "There are no consequences."
Ging has spent 12 years operating her bakery’s storefront in the downtown loop of Chicago. While she said she loves the city, she’s now strongly considering moving to the suburbs or out of state if the crime problem isn’t addressed.
"I’d really like to sit down with the mayor, the aldermen, anybody that makes decisions on crime to figure out how we can resolve this issue," she said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, however, said the city is making "progress" and continues to tout the economic gains being made.
Ging conceded that Chicago’s economy is growing but said she still wants to run her business in an area with a fully funded police force and a low crime rate.
"If you can't control the crime, [the economy] is just going to decline," she said.
Ultimately, she said she isn’t looking into future business investments in Chicago.
"These crimes are going to continue to happen, and it's really destructive to the city of Chicago," she said.
