McCarthy claimed that police are making arrests for illegal guns, but said the penalties for shooting convictions aren’t enough to stop the city’s violence. “My constituents get sick and exhausted of hearing about statistics and no action”, said Ald.
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office says it stands by McCarthy. “And there’s a level of disrespect for us in the black caucus”. “I think it’s just gotten to the point in all of our wards where we’re not happy with the results we’re seeing”, said Ald.
The Black Caucus includes Pat Dowell (3), Leslie Hairston (5), Greg Mitchell (7), Michelle Harris (8), Anthony Beale (9), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Willie Cochran (20), Harold Brookins (21), Michael Scott (24), Jason Ervin (28), Chris Taliaferro (29), Carrie Austin (34) and Emma Mitts (37). John Escalante, who is Hispanic, replaced Wysinger, the department announced Monday. The superintendent was police director in Newark, New Jersey, another violence-prone city.
The black caucus said this move did not influence their decision today. Roderick Sawyer, the 6th Ward alderman who chairs the Black Caucus, said at a Monday afternoon press conference.
There was also a very scolding editorial in the Chicago Tribune calling on aldermen to own the violence problem and own the solutions. At the time, McCarthy fired back that “we have to give psychological exams to people who we’re going to give guns to”.
Caucus members said they don’t have a specific candidate to replace McCarthy as superintendent. Garry McCarthy, saying he’s unresponsive to the drug dealing, loitering and other “quality of life” issues in the aldermen’s communities. While the mayor shares the concerns about rising gun violence, our focus must remain on the public safety challenge we face – reducing access to the illegal guns that drive violence in our communities.
McCarthy is expected to talk Tuesday about the Chicago Police Department’s financial needs for the 2016 fiscal year. He elaborated on how he feels the city should respond to the recent spate of violence. “The same strategies that were used to put ourselves in that position, we are using and refining right now”, McCarthy said.
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One day after a group of Chicago alderman demanded his firing, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy is expected to appear before a few of the same alderman during a budget hearing.
