Lake County Gazette

State Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) said safety needs to be a priority, not only in the interest of residents, but also to attract and retain businesses.

"Illinois has all the resources to be a hub for innovation, opportunity, and growth, but first we have to make our state a safe destination for families and businesses alike," Bos posted on Facebook. "Every Illinoisan deserves a neighborhood free of violence, it's time to get serious about crime and make Illinois the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski recently spoke about Chicago's violent crime problem at an event at the Economic Club of Chicago, CNN reported. The fast food giant is headquartered in the city, but Kempczinski said surging crime has negatively impacted the restaurants and made it harder to recruit corporate employees. “We have violent crime that’s happening in our restaurants … we’re seeing homelessness issues in our restaurants. We’re having drug overdoses that are happening in our restaurants,” he said.

In June, nine people were shot, including two who were killed, outside a McDonald's on Chicago's Near North Side in May, ABC Chicago reported. Three men, ages 17-21, were charged in connection with the mass shooting.

Financier Ken Griffin announced earlier this year that he decided to relocate hedge fund giant Citadel and Citadel Securities out of Illinois, Market Watch reported. “Chicago will continue to be important to the future of Citadel, as many of our colleagues have deep ties to Illinois,” Griffin wrote in a letter to employees. “Over the past year, however, many of our Chicago teams have asked to relocate to Miami, New York and our other offices around the world.” Citadel officials said crime was a factor in Griffin's decision.