CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- After seeming to deflect calls for a special Chicago City Council meeting on surging gun violence, Mayor Lori Lightfoot now is saying she welcomes it.
If there were any concerns that Mayor Lightfoot would try to persuade her allies not to show up for Friday’s special City Council meeting on police anti-violence strategies, the Mayor seemed to be trying to ease them.
Mayor Lightfoot issued a statement Wednesday evening saying she looks forward to the 11 a.m. meeting and the opportunity to outline what she calls her “whole government” approach to confronting the surge in shootings and murders.
Her full statement read:
"The safety of our residents is the top priority of my administration. Residents must feel safe in our city, and we remain committed to being transparent about our plans to ensure that all Chicagoans feel protected.
"Since April, all 50 aldermen were given the opportunity to attend three separate, formal briefings hosted by the Superintendent and his team covering the Police Department’s plan for summer deployments, summer operations, and the summer safety strategy. In addition, the Superintendent and senior members of the department have a regular cadence of calls with individual aldermen to discuss ward-specific matters. The Superintendent also holds a regular weekly press conference to review the previous week's events. These formal opportunities are in addition to CAPS meetings and other ways in which aldermen and the public can interface regarding citywide, ward, or neighborhood-specific issues or concerns.
"Public safety of our city is an important, serious matter. It is unfortunate that for some, it is being used as a political wedge issue. Nonetheless, I look forward to this special meeting on Friday to provide yet another opportunity for aldermen to be briefed on our whole of government approach to public safety.”
Just the day before, she’s suggested such a meeting wasn’t necessary just ahead of the July 4th weekend, because aldermen have had several opportunities to be briefed by Police Superintendent David Brown and his team.
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Some other Aldermen disputed that, and even some of Lightfoot’s allies want reassurance for their residents.
So, as long as 26 council members attend Friday—a quorum—the show and tell will go on.
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