City’s top cop avoids taking sides in public tangle between governor, mayor
Related article: Guard, state police may help Chicago PD
By Angela Rozas
The Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — A day after Gov. Rod Blagojevich called Chicago’s rising crime rate “out of control” and offered state manpower to help, Police Supt. Jody Weis carefully waded into the political fray Thursday on the city’s behalf, saying reports on the uptick in crime have been exaggerated.
At a news conference, Weis walked a cautious line, avoiding laying blame, asserting that his department has a handle on crime but still welcoming assistance. The superintendent said any deployment of state police would need more discussion and planning, and the Illinois National Guard isn’t likely to be on the way. Weis said the Guard doesn’t have the police powers necessary to help fight crime in the city.
The governor’s offer, which the administration said potentially involved using state troopers to patrol streets and National Guard helicopters to carry out surveillance, raised questions about whether it was more the result of a political struggle with Mayor Richard Daley rather than the need for more police.
Weis declined to comment on whether the governor’s state police idea is part of that fight between two powerful Democrats.
“I go out of my way not to get caught in any type of political battle . . . I don’t know,” Weis said. “That’s kind of between the governor and the mayor. We just try to do our job every day.”
Blagojevich unveiled the idea of using troopers to reporters before he had broached the issue with Daley. The mayor didn’t appear in public Thursday, letting Weis handle the topic. A statement from the governor’s office said Blagojevich was happy Weis was considering the offer.
“We look forward to working cooperatively with the Chicago Police Department,” the statement said. “The two departments have worked hand-in-hand on a number of other issues and have done so with great results. We expect this effort will not be any different.”
Weis said the state police’s investigative teams could be a help to the city. He also suggested the state recreate a gun-trafficking team that was disbanded before his tenure. In addition, Weis said it was possible state police could patrol some of city’s neighborhoods, freeing up more of his patrol officers.
The city’s top cop said he wanted to “put things in perspective” about Chicago’s crime, reiterating his stance that the 13 percent rise in homicides, while a concern, is not the sign of a crime epidemic. If Chicago’s homicide rate were to continue at the same rate, the city would still finish the year with fewer than 500 homicides. Though that may be higher than the last few years, that rate still would be among the lowest number of homicides in 40 years. Chicago’s crime rate is similar to increases in other U.S. cities, he said, pointing out that they aren’t resorting to using the National Guard.
Copyright 2008 The Chicago Tribune