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* Patrick Smith at WBEZ…
Throughout her tenure, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the police superintendents who work for her have repeatedly blamed judges when the city’s violence starts to rise. The argument goes like this: If judges would keep more people locked up after arrest, then they wouldn’t be able to commit crimes, and violence in Chicago would decrease. […]
But emails released to the public after a hack of the mayor’s office show that even as Lightfoot and police leaders continued to trot out the talking point, some of the highest-ranking city officials were aware the claim was wrong. And in fact, the leader of the city’s anti-violence efforts repeatedly tried to get them to stop making the claim that decisions on pretrial release were driving Chicago shootings. […]
“Electronic monitoring and low bond amounts given to offenders endangers our residents and flies in the face of the hard work our police officers put in on a daily basis to take them off the streets,” [CPD Superintendent David Brown] said [last summer]. “I will continue to bring attention to the sheer number of repeat offenders who are given little to no jail time and low bonds and … go on to commit more crimes.”
By that point, the emails show, city officials were scrambling to find evidence that would justify Lightfoot and Brown’s claims, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful.
One week before Brown made his comments, in an email thread spurred by a question from Crain’s Chicago Business columnist Greg Hinz, the mayor’s office and CPD were able to find only two examples of bail decisions leading to new gun crimes.
On top of that, Pat Mullane, a top mayoral spokesman at the time, admitted to colleagues that one of the two examples was “kind of weak.” But he said the city needed to provide them “so the [superintendent] doesn’t look like he’s pointing the finger.”
There’s a lot more, so click here and read the whole thing.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
The following is a statement from state Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago), who has spent the past five years fighting alongside community groups to end cash bail and sponsored the Safe-T Act which abolished cash bail and wealth-based detention in Illinois:
“We continue to work in pursuit of real public safety for all and, at least in Springfield, we have made significant progress because we know that public safety belongs to the people. Along those lines, the people deserve the truth from those elected to represent them.
“There is nothing more damaging than a public servant who knowingly contributes to a false narrative, and enables a system that picks and chooses evidence and data-based practices.
“Despite this, and with the support of Governor Pritzker, we were successful in ending cash bail in Illinois, taking the oxygen out of any more declarations from those who choose to ignore the fact that our justice system used to rule by ‘guilty if poor.’”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 1:31 pm
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About a week or 2 ago, I posed the question on Capitolfox.com of whether the mayor was getting bad staff advise or getting good advise and ignoring it. This answers my question.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 1:36 pm
Infuriating. Would like to hear Kimm Foxx’s response as this directly undermines her efforts at bail reform. Pritzker too.
Comment by Sox Fan Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 1:41 pm
She’s simply not good at this
Comment by Nick Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 1:45 pm
==She’s simply not good at this==
Yes, one might even call her a light weight.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 1:51 pm
How does this city keep electing Democratic mayors who govern like Republicans once in office? Like…what is the point of this?
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 1:53 pm
Lightfoot started out with so much potential.
I don’t understand how she has been able to consistently make the wrong political decisions at almost every turn.
Even for the times I agree with her public stance on an issue, the way she handles it publicly almost always makes the main point get lost, or even worse in situations like this makes her appear to lack credibility.
What will be the defining characteristic of her term - it will almost certainly be the phrase “unforced error”.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 1:57 pm
……..because it’s far easier to blame judges than it is to properly place blame on the 2 billion dollar law enforcement agency who seems to struggle to do any actual law enforcement.
Comment by dan l Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:01 pm
===to properly place blame on the 2 billion dollar law enforcement agency who seems to struggle to do any actual law enforcement.===
We have too many young men who see so little opportunity for themselves that they become enmeshed in the gang culture and black market economy that is a main source of income and prestige in many neighborhoods. We’ve also allowed an unfettered stream of firearms into this hopeless situation. Too many young men are living in a kill or be killed state of mind and life is not seen as valuable in the least.
I favor police reform, but that’s only part of the solution. In fact, I’d say police and bail reform is the easy part. The much harder part is creating a city where young men have alternative paths to earning a living that aren’t dependent upon violence and criminal activity. Solve that problem and you’ll solve the violence problem.
And for all of her faults, I believe Lightfoot is trying to solve that larger problem. It ain’t easy and it’s going to take more time than she’ll have as Mayor, but it has to start somewhere.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:09 pm
Everyone said she could have been Jane Byrne. I wasn’t around then, and was skeptical considering the undertone. If one blizzard cost Byrne, Lori’s already on her 5th or 6th blizzard. Maybe she will get bike lane named after her or something.
Comment by Ghost of the old man Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:09 pm
The common link to Lightfoot things;
Lightfoot lacks.
Lightfoot lacks clarity, honest to he own policies, lacks temperament, leadership, and an ear to listen, and lacks the ability to stop talking and picking fights too.
Personnel is policy.
There’s so much lacking in personnel too, and how best to serve a mayor and the city.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:15 pm
I agree that Lightfoot has been a major disappointment. I think a big factor is that she has never been the chief executive of any large organizaion prior to becoming mayor.
Comment by DuPage Dave Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:16 pm
The blizzard ruined Michael Bilandic’s career.
I really wanted Mayor Lightfoot to be better at this than she seems to be.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:19 pm
== The blizzard ruined Michael Bilandic’s career. ==
Clearly wasn’t around then
Comment by Ghost of the old man Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:23 pm
=== Clearly wasn’t around then===
It’s not institutional knowledge if the time frame only is defined by “being around”
Mayors own. Bilandic learned that the electoral way.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:25 pm
The first step in addressing city violence is being honest in assessing it. Lightfoot has failed that test. Even more troubling is the time and resources spent trying to justify the misguided assumption instead of working on actual solutions to city violence.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:25 pm
“Lightfoot started out with so much potential.”
Candidate Lightfoot did a great job of selling us Candidate Lightfoot. Unfortunately, Candidate Lightfoot was never going to be Mayor. It’s not that she changed once in office, it’s that her campaign convinced a lot of people (myself included) she was something she wasn’t and never intended to be.
Comment by Montrose Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:27 pm
Anyone paying attention knew this. The most jarring thing about Lightfoot is her willing to blatantly lie. Anything to deflect blame. The cause of looting. Anjanette Young. If someone questions her, she’ll tell them “you have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I’ve also never seen an elected official so obviously ignore her campaign promises. Reopening mental health clinics. Elected school board. Ending gang database. She was willing to lie because she thinks voters are idiots. And then she freaks out if anyone questions her “integrity”. The whole administration is train wreck.
Comment by Lori's Fedora Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 2:33 pm
= If one blizzard cost Byrne =
A blizzard is what got her elected.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 3:18 pm
=== = If one blizzard cost Byrne =
A blizzard is what got her elected.===
(Sigh)
Lightfoot is more Rauner than Byrne
Not a compliment
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 3:19 pm
The mayors office should read the CWB Chicago blog, it tracks repeat gun offenders and others.
Comment by BigLou Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 3:45 pm
There are more anecdotes than the 2 (say what you want about CWBChicago but the site has documented 19 offenders who were on bail who while awaiting trial were charged with a violent crime (attempted murder or murder)).
My view is that people are innocent until proven guilty and bail should be granted to most individuals even if that means there is a subsequent increase in violence.
Comment by Chicagonk Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 3:45 pm
@Lori’s Fedora: I completely agree with all of this, and it frankly doesn’t make sense. All LL had to do was just follow through on her prior campaign promises. She had electoral support in a mostly single-party city, she had aldermen generally on board.
Then once in office she just abandoned everything, decided to basically fight everyone over everything, and appears to have just decided to be intentionally stubborn about anything that comes across her path.
I have no idea why I’m going to vote for in the next mayoral election (or who will even be running), but LL just doesn’t seem to have the temperament or basic managerial skills for the job.
Comment by Homebody Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 3:49 pm
First, the State’s Attorney files the charges; then the Judge makes a decision based upon that. Some people seem to think that the Judges are at fault. The biggest factor is what the State’s Attorney does. Judges cannot go over and above that.
Comment by MaryLouise Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 3:52 pm
—–
There are more anecdotes than the 2 (say what you want about CWBChicago but the site has documented 19 offenders who were on bail who while awaiting trial were charged with a violent crime (attempted murder or murder)).
—-
Ok I will. CWB licks soooooooooooooooooooo much boot that one of their ‘writers’ had to have his stomach pumped after ingesting too much polish.
Honestly, if I’m just looking to just have a laugh by scaring people from coming to the city, I generally just refer them there.
Comment by dan l Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 4:11 pm
==say what you want about CWBChicago==
OK it’s an anonymous racist website that has nothing to do with whether or not Lightfoot lied
Comment by crazybleedingheart Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 4:21 pm
@dan - I mean you are not really contradicting anything in my comment so I will just leave it at that.
Comment by Chicagonk Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 5:46 pm
——
OK it’s an anonymous racist website that has nothing to do with whether or not Lightfoot lied
——
I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees them as being pretty racist.
Comment by dan l Wednesday, May 26, 21 @ 11:54 pm