(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city was prosperous in 2022 as her challengers in this year’s mayoral election are laying out plans for fighting crime in the city.
In Chicago’s February primary election, a crowded field have joined the race to take on Lightfoot. Public safety within the city is one of the main issues.
Last week, Lightfoot issued a news release looking back on 2022 and discussed things she believes are accomplishments.
“I can confidently say that we have made incredible strides on that path, and our residents and communities are all the better for it,” Lightfoot said. “From investing in neighborhoods that hadn’t seen a dime in decades to reimagining and expanding City services with a focus on equity and more, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future.”
Lightfoot says the Chicago Police Department identified the top 55 police beats where more than half of the city’s violence occurs and implemented strategic deployments to combat violence in these areas.
Lightfoot said since the implementation, homicides declined by about 30%, and shootings dropped by about 38% in these communities.
Paul Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, announced in December his plan to keep the city safe. Vallas said that the city has been overrun by crime since Lightfoot had been in office.
“To say criminals are becoming brazen is an understatement,” Vallas said. “Car thefts are now averaging a mind-boggling 100 a day, and we saw 50 armed robberies in just the last six days, with instances of the robbers pistol-whipping women for their apparent amusement.”
Vallas said his plan includes hiring more officers for the Chicago Transit Authority and increasing patrol officers in Chicago’s neighborhoods.
“We will return to a community policing strategy that restores strength levels to local police districts and ensures local police beat integrity, in which every beat is covered by a police car,” Vallas said.
Kam Buckner, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, Frederick Collins, a law enforcement officer, and Ja’Mal Green, an activist, are also vying for the job.
Buckner’s plan to fight crime includes making several changes to the hiring process by removing certain barriers to police hiring, including low credit scores, to fill vacancies within the department.
This week, state Reps. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, Denyse Wang Stoneback, D-Skokie, Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, and LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, all endorsed Buckner for mayor of Chicago.
“Not only has Kam been a fierce defender of a woman’s right to choose, but he’s the only candidate in the race with a truly balanced approach to governing and the track record to back it up,” Croke said. “He believes in safety and justice, and has solutions for LaSalle Street and Main Street because he understands that economic development is vital in both our downtown and in our 77 neighborhoods.”
Earlier this year, Chicago’s 4th Ward Alderman Sophia King, who will also be running against Lightfoot in February’s primary election, laid out her plan for stopping crime in the city.
King’s plan includes hiring more than 1,000 retired officers to work significant events, using drones to follow carjacking suspects, and offering $5,000 signing bonuses for law enforcement.
Chicago businessman Willie Wilson, as well as several city council members such as Raymond Lopez and Roderick Sawyer, are in the running. Also running is U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, D-Chicago, who ran for mayor in 2015.
The primary election will be held on Feb. 28.
