Chicago City Wire

Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said he thinks he is the only candidate who can solve the city’s crime problems.

“The paperwork is ready to go. It just needs to be filed,” Catanzara told Chicago’s Morning Answer host Dan Proft.

“I can tell you that something needs to change here," he said. "And it seems that public safety, especially, you don't really hear much from the candidates other than Paul Vallas, to be honest with you. You know, I love Dr. Wilson, but even his commercials don't speak about public safety being the number one issue.

“If people don't understand that, that drives everything that goes on in this city. Tax revenue, people fleeing the city, everything around it comes from public safety and perception. You know, there's this terrorism nonsense about we're going to get back to 24 by 2024, that are our all-time high to get the violence under control. You lost downtown more than it's ever been lost before. And I'm not sure what you do to get it back at this point without a wholesale change at the top of the police department and the political structure in the city.”

Catanzara remains the FOP president despite leaving the police force last year.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Catanzara have butted heads in the past after the police force fought against mandatory vaccination.

Lightfoot set her sights on the FOP last year as the vaccination issue continued to arise.

In fact, Lightfoot used that argument to attack Catanzara personally, branding him a "racist" and a "misogynist."

Less than 70% of the city's police personnel had uploaded their vaccination status to the portal at that time.

Later, the city gave in to pressure to vaccinate everyone.

A judge banned Cantazara from accessing social media for two weeks for his opposition to the vaccine mandate.