Chicago alderman wants National Guard to patrol city as violence surges
CHICAGO - Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago aldermen faced off Tuesday after the city experienced its deadliest weekend of criminal violence so far this year.
The mayor ignored the rising chorus calling for her to account for failing to deliver on campaign promises to reduce violence. She promised new help for victims and others hit by the violence.
"I can't imagine losing your child and then feeling like your pain and suffering isn't heard. We've got to do more as a city, and I take on that responsibility and that obligation to make sure we are programmatically reaching out and providing more support to the victims, survivors and witnesses. And we will do that," she said.
Lightfoot added more details on what that entails will soon be announced.
Meanwhile, the mayor and Chicago Police Supt. David Brown have been very critical of other officials in the criminal justice system. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx appears to be no longer letting their remarks slide.
"Finger-pointing instead of talking honestly about the violence plaguing our city doesn’t help bring solutions that make our communities safer. It starts with apprehending those who pull the trigger; police must make an arrest before a case reaches the courthouse door," Foxx tweeted.
A South Side alderman wants the Illinois National Guard to patrol downtown in the wake of this past weekend's violence. More than 100 people were shot over the holiday weekend.
"We need to bring in the National Guard to secure the perimeter of downtown, and to work along with the police to free up more officers to come from downtown back into the communities, where we can help flood the communities where resources have been taken out of," Alderman Anthony Beale said.
Asked about Beale's proposal, Mayor Lightfoot called him a critic who "likes to grandstand." She lamented that reporters even cover him at all.
"I don't have to say anything more about him," she added.