Chicago City Wire

CHICAGO – Crime has increased since the city agreed to surround police with community groups and government agencies, yet Mayor Lori Lightfoot and most of her challengers in the Feb. 28 primary promise to continue pursuing that policy. 

They support community policing, a familiar but vague idea that civilians can mediate gang disputes and psychologists can cure the trauma of growing up in a violent city.

Candidate Willie Wilson’s website states he lost a son to homicide but he offers no solution. 

Lightfoot boasts that the city pays nine social service organizations to resolve conflicts between street groups in 15 neighborhoods. 

She claims her Office of Violence Reduction promotes peace, interrupts violence, and changes the thinking and behavior of persons at risk of violence. 

Most of her opponents claim she should do more along that line. 

They claim she has failed to carry out a consent decree that former mayor Rahm Emanuel approved in 2019, placing priority on community policing. 

The decree requires strong partnerships and positive interactions with the community and regular meetings with 14 city departments. 

Among Lightfoot’s challengers only Paul Vallas would add police. 

He would restore the staff from 11,700 to 13,500.

“The city has been surrendered to a criminal element,” he states in his campaign.

Vallas would invite officers who left in the last three years to return without loss of seniority. He would give new officers 18 months to establish Chicago residency. He favors promotions by merit rather than for friends and family. He proposes a witness protection program.

He also favors police presence for Chicago Transit Authority rather than private security. He opposes overtime pay for scarecrow officers who stay in their cars. 

Candidate Brandon Johnson claims he would reduce crime by attacking its root causes. He would dismantle racism and end poverty.

He would “reverse decades of under investment” in youth and mental health. He would “have health professionals, not police, respond to crisis calls.” 

He would erase all 280,000 names on the police department’s gang list. He would fire every officer who belongs to Oath Keepers or Proud Boys. He would train 200 detectives to increase the homicide clearance rate. 

Detectives would also get illegal guns off the streets, a task about to get much tougher. 

Legislators recently made it a felony to own any of 69 gun models or various other kinds of guns without paying $25 and obeying certain restrictions. 

Johnson lists good schools among the city’s needs and thereby admits the failure of Chicago schools and the teachers, whose union employed him as an organizer. 

Candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia states he would replace police superintendent David Brown. 

He states that if voters elect him, trust would be built and crime would go down. He would place civilians in administrative positions so that officers could transfer from those positions to patrol duty. 

Like Johnson he states he would combat root causes of crime. He would not leave child trauma untreated. He would connect young persons to opportunities. He would invest in communities. 

Candidate Ja’Mal Green would improve public safety by “giving those who are without hope a chance to believe.” 

Green states they suffer financially and socially, “which creates a space for their crimes to present.” 

He would ban booting of vehicles and convert parking fees for low income persons to community service. 

Candidate Kam Buckner expresses his public safety policy as, “Invest in neighborhoods, strengthen community policing, and create greater accountability.” 

Candidate Sophia King would make police responsive and accountable. 

Candidate Roderick Sawyer takes credit as an alderman for an ordinance that provides election of three council members for each of 22 police districts. 

Members formerly served by appointment. 

Lightfoot’s campaign website states she expanded a carjacking task force, sued gun suppliers in other states, and removed 12,700 guns from the streets last year.

She states she used $13 million from the American Rescue Act to launch a community safety coordination center addressing root causes of violence.

She states she launched a crisis assistance response and engagement program that sends clinicians and specially trained paramedics and police on 911 calls for mental health.

Rahm Emanuel’s consent decree

The consent decree of 2019, which resulted from compromise between the city and the state, continues to require attention at U.S. district court.

In January, the city and the state adopted a process for the attorney general and the court's independent monitor Maggie Hickey to review police board proposals for adoption or revision of rules and regulations.

On Feb. 8, the city and the state agreed that Hickey's presence at meetings of a force review board would not constitute a waiver of any privilege the city or the police department might assert including attorney client privilege.

Chief District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer presides.