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Proposed ordinance targeting gang members to be discussed by City Council committee
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has shown support for the proposed Victims' Justice ordinance which would allow for the fining of gang members and the seizure of their property.
CHICAGO - Some Chicago attorneys say Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal to curb gang crime will open the city to be sued, cause more police misconduct and not reduce crime.
Lightfoot said the Victims' Justice Ordinance is about stopping gangs by going after their profits.
The mayor said she knows something must be done about Chicago’s gun violence. On a single day this week, five juveniles were shot. One was killed going home from school.
Police have said the violence is caused by intense gang activity in Chicago. The proposed ordinance would allow the city to hit gangs in the pockets by seizing property acquired through illegal activity.
Lightfoot said the city would have the burden of proving a crime was committed, and the property is proceeds of that activity.
"Our goal is to have another tool to take action against violent gangs who are terrorizing citizens of the city of Chicago," Lightfoot said.
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Chicago Mayor Lightfoot wants to sue gangs
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants to sue gangs in order to crack down on the city's surging violence.
Fifty attorneys wrote an open letter to the mayor, urging her to drop the ordinance, saying it sets the city up for more litigation and unfairly targets Black and Brown communities.
They say the city should do more to invest in communities.
The Public Safety Committee hearing is scheduled Friday for 1 p.m. at City Hall.