(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson is sidestepping the issue of whether Chicago would follow New York's lead and welcome the National Guard's help patrolling mass transit.
Johnson on Wednesday didn’t directly address New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to deploy National Guard members and state police in The Big Apple's subways. But the mayor was asked if he would welcome similar help here in Chicago, at least during the Democratic National Convention this summer.
As far as the DNC is concerned, Johnson said, the city and state government, which controls the Illinois National Guard, are cooperating.
“We are coordinating with every single level of government to make sure that this convention is safe,” Johnson said.
He said technology will also come into play. That could include use of the ShotSpotter gunshot-detection systems that the city is winding down, Johnson said.
Hochul, a Democrat, on Wednesday said she will deploy 750 members of the National Guard to the subways to assist the New York Police Department with bag searches at entrances to busy train stations.
“For people who are thinking about bringing a gun or knife on the subway, at least this creates a deterrent effect," Hochul said at a news conference in New York City.
Overall, crime has dropped in New York City since a spike during the COVID-19 pandemic, and killings are down on the subway system. But rare fatal shootings and shovings on the subway can put residents on edge. Just last week, a passenger slashed a subway conductor in the neck, delaying trains.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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