Chicago’s new mayor to “reimagine” the police

If you thought things were bad on the streets of Chicago in recent years, you weren’t imagining it. And as difficult as it may be to believe, they’re very likely about to get worse. When Brandon Johnson narrowly defeated Paul Vallas in the last mayoral election, one of what may have been the last hopes to clean up the Windy City appeared to have died on the vine. (Vallas was endorsed by the police union and ran on a promise to get the city’s crime rates under control.) Now the new Mayor has released a report laying out his plans for “creating a more just and vibrant city for all.” In it, he sets out an agenda where he would delete a police database of known gang activity because it promotes “racial disparities.” He will also “re-envision the role of police,” replacing some with mental health workers in communities that are “over-policed.” In other words, “Defund the Police” is making a huge comeback in one of the most crime-plagued cities in the country. (Washington Examiner)

Chicago’s crime problem is notoriously bad. And, over the past few years, it has only become more severe. Crime has spiked 88% since 2021 and there are no indications the trend will be reversing any time soon.

Even worse, Chicago’s new mayor, Brandon Johnson, just released a 223-page report titled “A Blueprint for Creating a More Just and Vibrant City for All” that included a truly disastrous “public safety” plan.

The plan, which was inspired by a “struggle rooted in black liberation,” contains no recommendations to increase enforcement of crimes. Instead, it proposes getting rid of a gang database because of “racial disparities,” issuing an acknowledgment of harm toward black and Hispanic residents of the city, “re-envision[ing] the role of a police officer,” and providing mental health services — rather than actual safety — in communities that are “over-policed.”

Seeing this happen in a city where reporters are forced to rank carjacking statistics like ongoing baseball results is simply surreal. The gang violence problem in Chicago remains almost completely out of control. The Gangster Disciples and the Latin Kings control more turf than the Mayor’s office does. But those are precisely the neighborhoods that Mayor Johnson seems to believe are “over-policed.”

Who exactly are these “mental health service providers” who will replace the police? Will they be armed with anything other than a clipboard? Will they at least be given body armor? Or will they be trained to simply stroll up to warring gang members and flash some peace signs, expecting them to throw down their guns and head off to church to repent?

The CPD’s gang database was one of the few tools that gave officers a chance to quickly identify people with a history of gang activity when making arrests. It’s bad enough that most young criminals are immediately released without bail except in the most violent criminal encounters. But at least being able to tag them as gang members offered a chance that they could be taken off of the streets for a while.

Does the Mayor not have access to the local news outlets? Just yesterday, a 16-year-old girl died after being shot in the eye right on the sidewalk. Over the past weekend alone, 27 people were shot in Chicago with five of them dying. In the month of May, carjackings and other vehicle thefts broke an all-time record. This is not “normal.” These are statistics you would expect to see in Mexican states that are completely controlled by warring cartels.

We covered the last mayoral election closely here. Lori Lightfoot was an unmitigated disaster for Chicago. There’s simply no question about that. Even the Democrats knew it and she was the first mayor in generations not to be given another term. The people of Chicago were offered a sliver of hope in terms of addressing the number one crisis facing their city in the person of Paul Vallas. He was ready to start putting resources in place to make the streets safer on day one. Instead, we watched as activists appealed to the voters to ensure that a Black person (probably any Black person) kept the office. And it worked. They elected the anti-cop candidate. And now he is delivering precisely what he promised. Less policing, less safety, and, as a result, almost certainly a further increase in crime rates. So Chicago is getting exactly what it voted for. Any remaining sane Chicagoans should pack their things and flee while they still can, assuming their cars haven’t already been stolen.