IT’S OFFERING SEVERAL KEY
RECOMMENDATIONS HOW THE POLICE
DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITIES THEY
SERVE CAN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT
TRUST AND BUILD PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE REPORT COMES DAYS AFTER
CHICAGO WAS PUT ON LOCKDOWN
AFTER DAYS OF LOOTING AND
VIOLENCE.
AT LEAST 100 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
ARRESTED.
JOINING US NOW, THE MAYOR OF
CHICAGO, MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT.
FIRST LET ME ASK YOU HOW YOUR
CITY IS DOING AFTER THE VIOLENCE
THIS PAST WEEKEND?
>> LOOK.
I THINK WE’RE SEEING THE SAME
CHALLENGES IN CHICAGO THAT WE’VE
SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
CHICAGO WAS NOT THE ONLY CITY
UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS HIT WITH
LOOTING.
IT HAPPENED IN OTHER PLACES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I THINK THIS IS A CHALLENGING
TIME FOR OUR COUNTRY IN GENERAL
BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUED
CONCERNS AND RESPONSE NECESSARY
FOR COVID-19.
THERE’S A LOT OF ANGER.
THERE’S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION.
IT ASYLUM NEVER JUSTIFIES THE
KIND OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT WE SAW
IN OUR CITY AND OTHER CITIES ON
SUNDAY NIGHT.
THESE ARE ORGANIZED ROBBERY
CREWS.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO
ARE OPPORTUNISTIC, BUT THE
REALITY IS WE HAVE TO STAND UP
AND UNITE AS A CITY AND STAND
AGAINST THIS KIND OF BALD
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
I’VE BEEN VERY DIRECT WITH OUR
LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS,
PARTICULARLY OUR PROSECUTORS.
WE’VE GOT TO BRING THESE PEOPLE
OUT OF THE SHADOWS AND BRING
JUSTICE.
THERE’S A LOT OF CONCERN AMONG
EQUITY AND SYSTEMATIC RACISM
THAT’S BEEN HAPPENED FOR
DECADES, BUT THERE’S NEVER, EVER
A JUSTIFICATION FOR CRIMINAL
CONDUCT.
LOOTING IS CRIMINAL CONDUCT.
LOOTING IS STEALING THE BUSINESS
AND DREAMS OF BUSINESS OWNERS
AND EMPLOYEES, AND WE’RE JUST
NOT GOING TO STAND FOR IT HERE
IN CHICAGO PERIOD.
>> SO THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS
OBVIOUSLY ABOUT THE REPUTATION
OF CITIES, NOT JUST YOURS BUT
OTHER CITIES, PARTICULARLY GIVEN
SOME OF THE RHETORIC THAT’S BEEN
OUT THERE FROM THE PRESIDENT.
THERE’S CONCERNS ABOUT THE
ECONOMIC IMPACT LIKE MICHIGAN
BEGAN AVENUE THAT HAS AN UPSCALE
REP TARKS CONCERNS ABOUT
REBUILDING.
TALK ABOUT THE REFORMS IN LIGHT
OF THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS
AND THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS YOU
WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT.
>> LISTEN.
IT’S PART OF THE SAME ECOSYSTEM.
THE LARGER FRAME THAT YOU
REFERENCE IS THIS.
WE NEED A LEADER IN THE WHITE
HOUSE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE
IMPORTANCE OF CITIES TO OUR
COUNTRY.
WE ARE THE ECONOMIC ENGINE TO
OUR COUNTRY.
IF WE DON’T HAVE A LEADER WHO
GETS THAT AND UNDERSTANDS THAT
AND IS GOING OUT OF HIS WAY TO
SUPPORT CITIES, NOT JUST WITH
SENDING IN THE TROOPS BUT
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF
THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF OUR
CITIES, OUR CITIES HAVE BEEN HIT
HARD BY ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
OCCASION BY COVID-19.
WE’RE STILL LOOKING FOR SUPPORT
FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF US CAN GET
THROUGH THIS ON THE OTHER SIDE
AND RECOVER IN THE MOST ROBUST
WAY AS POSSIBLE AND WE’RE NOT
SEEING THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP
THAT WE NEED FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE TO HELP OUR CITIES AT A
TIME OF GREATEST NEED.
WE’RE EXPERIENCING ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY NOT JUST CHICAGO
DEPRESSION-LIKE ECONOMIC
CONDITIONS.
OUR BUSINESSES ARE CRYING OUT IN
PAIN.
OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ON THE STREET,
UNEMPLOYMENT IS GOING THROUGH
THE ROOF, WE ALL KNOW THAT, WE
SEE THE NUMBERS.
WE NEED A PLAN FROM WASHINGTON,
D.C. THAT RESPONDS TO THE
REALITIES ON THE GROUND AND
CITIES LIKE CHICAGO.
SO, YES, WE NEED TO CONTINUE
THIS CONVERSATION AROUND POLICE
REFORM, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND
RACIAL JUSTICE, BUT WE ALSO NEED
TO FRAME THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF
IN LARGER ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AND
THE SIZE OF IT AND SCALE OF IT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAN ONLY
PROPERLY BE ADDRESSED BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT IS DEPRESSING AND FRUSTRATING
THAT THE SENATE HAS GONE HOME
WHEN PEOPLE ARE STARVING FOR
RESOURCES AND CITIES LIKE
CHICAGO.
WE NEED OUR NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
TO STAND UP AND STAND TALL IN
THIS MOMENT, AND MAKE SURE THAT
WE HAVE AN ECONOMIC PLAN THAT
DEALS WITH THE REALITIES AND