ANN THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, PARIS.
>> SPEAKING OF THAT CHICAGO HAS
SURPASSED 800 HOMICIDES FOR THE
YEAR WITH YET A WEEK-AND-A-HALF
LEFT IN 2021.
THERE WERE 23 SHOOTINGS SEVERAL
WERE FATAL AND IT'S AGAINST THIS
BACKDROP THAT MAYOR LORI
LIGHTFOOT WENT ON THE OFFENSIVE.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US WITH THE
LATEST.
AMANDA.
>> YES, PARIS, THIS AFTERNOON
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT GIVING
VOICE TO WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
ARE FEELING, PERHAPS TRYING TO
GIVE ASSURANCE TO THEM AND
PEOPLE ARE SCARED WITH
SHOOTINGS, CARJACKINGS AND THE
PANDEMIC.
SHE SAYS EMOTIONS ARE HIGH.
>> I KNOW THAT PEOPLE FOR WHOM
VIOLENCE IS A DAILY CONCERN ARE
PARTICULARLY STRESSED.
AND THAT MORE RECENTLY VIOLENCE
IS CREEPING INTO OTHER
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE NOT
HISTORICALLY BEEN BURDENED BY
VIOLENT CRIME.
AS A MAYOR OF THE CITY, I WANT
TO ASSURE YOU THAT FROM DAY ONE
IN MY TIME AS MAYOR, PUBLIC
SAFETY HAS BEEN, IS, AND WILL
CONTINUE TO BE MY HIGHEST
PRIORITY.
>> ONE OF HER SOLUTIONS:
KEEPING MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE
ACCUSED OF VIOLENT CRIMES BEHIND
BARS.
LIGHTFOOT SAYS IT IS DEFIES
COMMON SENSE THAT THOUSANDS OF
INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH CRIMES
HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM JAIL
WHILE EVERYONE IS PRESUMED
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY SHE
SAYS NEIGHBORHOODS ARE UP FOR
GRABS.
>> BUT IF YOU ARE CHARGED WITH
KILLING SOMEONE, TRYING TO KILL
SOMEONE, TAKING A VEHICLE AT GUN
POINT, RAPE OR VIOLENCE AGAINST
SOMEONE IN YOUR HOME OR THEIRS
FOR THOSE PEOPLE, I ABSOLUTELY
BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE
LOCKED UP, PENDING TRIAL.
BECAUSE THEY ARE DEMONSTRATED
QUOTE AND QUOTE REAL AND PRESENT
THREAT TO THE PHYSICAL SAFETY OF
PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY AS DEFINED
UNDER ILLINOIS STATE LAW.
>> LIGHTFOOT CALLING FOR A
MORATORIUM FOR ELECTRONIC
MONITORING.
KEEPING THOSE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND
BARS IF THEY ARE ACCUSED OF
CRIMES LIKE HOMICIDE, MURDER,
RAPE, CARJACKING, SHE SAYS THAT
MONITORING IS SUPPOSED TO COME
WITH SUPERVISION BUT THAT IS NOT
HAPPENING.
>> IN COOK COUNTY, THERE'S
VIRTUALLY NO SUPERVISION NOR ANY
MANDATED COMMUNITY
INTERVENTIONS.
THE COOK COUNTY ELECTRONIC
SYSTEM IS FUNDAMENTALLY BROKEN
IN A WAY THAT IS MAKING OUR CITY
UNSAFE.
THE COUNTY COURTS NEED TO GET
THE BALANCE BACK AND RESERVE
ELECTRONIC MONITORING FOR ONLY
NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS.
>> UNCLEAR HOW THIS MORATORIUM
WOULD WORK.
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE NOT
RESPONDING TO A REQUEST FOR
COMMENT ON THAT BUT SHE DID TALK
ABOUT SENDING A FORMAL REQUEST
TO CHIEF JUDGE EVANS WHO SAYS HE
HAS NOT RECEIVED THAT FROM
LIGHTFOOT.
EVANS SAYING VIOLENCE IS A LOCAL
AND A NATIONAL PROBLEM AND
SHARES THE MAYOR'S CONCERNS
ABOUT IT.
HE DID NOT DIRECTLY RESPOND TO A
REQUEST FOR COMMENT ON THIS
GENERAL SENT.
AND CRITIQUE OF THE SYSTEM.
BUT SHARONE MITCHELL DOES THE
MAYOR'S PLAN IS REGRESSIVE AND
WOULD DISRUPT COMMUNITIES.
>> WE KNOW THE PROPOSAL AROUND
UNCONSTITUTIONAL GIVEN THAT
EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS ENTITLED
TO A INDIVIDUALIZED HEARING AND
FRANKLY IT WOULD RESULT IN
INCARCERATION OF UNTOLD NUMBER
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INNOCENT AND
DID NOTHING BUT BE ACCUSED OF A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
>> HE POINTS OUT THAT THE MAYOR
CALLING NOT JUST TO KEEP IN JAIL
THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF A
VIOLENT CRIME LIKE USING A GUN
AND ALSO THOSE ACCUSED OF
ILLEGALLY HAVING ONE.
>> THIS IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO
START PUNISHING PEOPLE JUST
BASED UPON AN ALLEGATION BY THE
CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT WE
BELIEVE WILL NOT ONLY EXPLODE
THE JAIL POPULATION, NOT ONLY
WILL CAUSE A NUMBER OF INNOCENT
PEOPLE TO BE INCARCERATED, BUT
IT WILL DO NOTHING TO KEEP OUR
COMMUNITIES SAFE.
>> MITCHELL HAS ADVOCATED FOR
DECRIMINALIZING ILLEGAL GUN
POSSESSION.
LIGHTFOOT IN HER SPEECH CALLED
FOR THE OPPOSITE SHE IS PUSHING
FOR STATE LEGISLATORS TO
CRACKDOWN ON SO-CALLED GHOST
GUNS AND ONLY THE FEDS SHE SAYS
HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP ILLEGAL
GUN TRAFFICKING BETWEEN STATES.
LIGHTFOOT ADDS SHE IS MAKING A
FORMAL ASK OF THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO SEND
MORE AGENTS TO CHICAGO TO HELP.
>> OUR CITY IS AWASH IN ILLEGAL
GUNS.
AND SADLY HAS BEEN FOR YEARS.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS
THAT SET US APART FROM OTHER
CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THE RESULT IN HARM IS
SHOWING UP IN OUR STREETS IN
EMERGENCY ROOMS IN MORGUES AND
FUNERAL HOMES EVERYDAY.
AND IT IS THREATENING NOT ONLY
OUR RESIDENTS, BUT OUR POLICE
OFFICERS AS WELL.
>> NOW, THE MAYOR BY THE WAY
SAYS SHE DOES HAVE A MILLION
DOLLARS SET ASIDE IN REWARD
MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE WHO COME
FORWARD TO HELP POLICE SOLVE ANY
OF THESE ILLEGAL GUN CRIMES.
GOING FORWARD SHE WANTS MORE
LICENSE PLATE READERS INSTALLED
CALLING THE CAMERAS A
GAME-CHANGER.
CRITICS DO QUESTION THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT TECHNOLOGY
IN SOLVING CRIMES.
LIGHTFOOT SAYS THE TACTICS ARE
PART OF A SOLUTION AND VIOLENCE
AND CRIME ARE MANIFESTATIONS OF
DEEPER PROBLEMS NOT THE ONLY
SOLUTION AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
SHE ALSO PLANS TO DEVOTE A
RECORD AMOUNT OF CITY MONEY TO
GO TOWARD IMPOVERISHED
NEIGHBORHOODS AND TO COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS.
>> POVERTY AND NEGLECT AND THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA THAT COMES
WITH IT IT IS THE POVERTY AND
NEGLECT THAT TOO MANY
COMMUNITIES LIKE GARFIELD PARK
AND OTHERS ON THE SOUTH AND WEST
SIDES HAVE ENDURED FOR DECADES.
>> NOW, THE MAYOR'S PLAN IS
SOMETHING SHE PREVIOUSLY TALKED
ABOUT BEFORE AND THAT IS GOING
AFTER GANG LEADERS' PROFITS BUT
THERE HAS NOT BEEN SUPPORT ON
THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS CIVIL
ASSET FORFEITURE PLAN AND THE
MAYOR INDICATING SHE HAS PERHAPS
AN UPDATED VERSION BUT NO
DETAILS DISCLOSED ABOUT WHAT
THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND SHE DID
NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FROM
REPORTERS FOLLOWING THIS
AFTERNOON'S ADDRESS.
PARIS, BACK TO YOU.
>> CLEARLY, A LOT OF LOCAL