Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz rips Chicago crime rate

With the crime rate rising in the Windy City, the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks is speaking out on his desire for fans who attend games at United Center to feel safe when they venture into that section of town. 

"Crime is something we have to be careful [about] because we want people to come into the United Center. That's where the Bulls and Blackhawks play. And our partner, [Chairperson of the Chicago Bulls] Jerry Reinsdorf, we both own a piece of the building. And the important thing is that we want fans to feel comfortable coming to our building and how we can do that," Wirtz explained during an appearance on Cavuto: Coast to Coast. 

It was less than a week ago that a man was shot and killed while near the venue on the sidewalk in the 2100 block of West Randolph Street. Wirtz is hoping that Chicago's mayor elect Brandon Johnson will be tougher on crime than his predecessor Lori Lightfoot, who oversaw several businesses leaving the city due to the rising violent crime rates. 

"Chicago has 50 different wards. This is the time for the 50 wards to work together with City Hall. And I believe that the mayor-elect is going to do that if he comes out of the gate strong -- which I believe he will. This is a time to reinforce the help that the business community can have," Wirtz continued.

The safety of fans attending an event, whether it be a sporting event or concert, should never be taken for granted. While Wirtz certainly earned a deserved share of criticism for his bizarre outburst during a season ticket holder event just over a year ago, he's right in wanting people who are patrons of his business to want to continue coming down and spending their money.