CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to play the long game trying to get at the root causes of crime, while some are growing impatient wanting answers about police staffing.
Johnson spoke about his plans to curb crime in Chicago during a press conference Wednesday as the city enters its summer season.
“We’re working collaboratively. It’s a layered approach,” Johnson said in response to Chicago’s interim police superintendent Fred Waller expressing concern about officer reduction while implementing the mayor’s anti-crime strategy.
Mayor Johnson favors a multi-tiered long-term crime fighting strategy, as he works to promote 200 more detectives, but he’s not promised to fill vacancies.
“Everybody knows that police strategy, alone, is insufficient, it’s a failure. And I don’t know how you scramble to hire people – a process that takes 18 months. Do you really want to scramble to find police officers? I don’t think we want to scramble to find anyone that requires the professional training that is needed to ensure that we are delivering adequate services for the people of Chicago.”
After multiple weekends of highly publicized violence, Mayor Johnson’s approach is at odds with what some city councilmembers want.
While interim police superintendent Fred Waller, Alderman Jim Gardner and Matt O’Shea want to see improvement in the police staffing issues, Alderwoman Rossanna Rodriquez is among a group working to create new structures of crisis responders.
“I think the problem that we have is that we are sending every single issue to police so you’re always going to need more police when police is the only answer for everything that happens. Homelessness, send police. Mental health issues, send police. Substance abuse, send police,” Rodriquez said.
Taking the podium Tuesday afternoon, Johnson also spoke about the newly designated Chicago landmark, “The Warehouse,” which is viewed by many as sacred ground for house music as it “influenced and shaped the rich culture that was pioneered and purveyed.”
Johnson also addressed the ongoing migrant housing crisis.
Watch the full press conference in the video player below:
SEE ALSO: ‘I knew what I was inheriting,’ says Mayor Johnson after another violent weekend in Chicago
Among the various measures introduced to and approved by the Chicago City Council on Wednesday includes:
- City Council Passes Urban Agriculture Business License Enhancement Ordinance
- Landmark Status Approved for “The Warehouse” Building, Known as Birthplace of House Music and LGBTQ+ Community Space
- City Council Approves Annette C.M. Guzman as Budget Director
- Chicago Department of Public Health and Department of Housing Partner to Pilot New Stabilization Housing Center Aimed at Addressing Chicagoans Experiencing Homelessness
- Various Community and Land Development Measures Introduced to and Approved by City Council
- Various Housing Measures Introduced to City Council
