Liberal Logic: The Black Lives Matters demand less policing then the mayor blames the police for not doing their job.
Daily Mail: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel had some harsh words for the city’s police force last week, blaming a recent upsurge in crime on officers becoming ‘fetal’ out of fear for doing something wrong during arrests.
The second-term mayor made the controversial remarks during a meeting in Washington DC with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and other mayors and law enforcement officials from across the country.
The summit was held to discuss an uptick in homicides and other violent crimes – a trend that Mayor Emanuel partially blamed on a decrease in policing.
‘We have allowed our police department to get fetal, and it is having a direct consequence,’ Emanuel was quoted by the Washington Post as saying at the meeting. ‘They have pulled back from the ability to interdict … they don’t want to be a news story themselves, they don’t want their career ended early, and it’s having an impact.’
On Monday, President Obama’s pugnacious former chief of staff doubled down on his ‘fetal’ comment, saying the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the death of Freddie Gray while in the custody of Baltimore police were having an adverse effect on the actions of Chicago cops.
‘Officers themselves were telling me about how the news over the last 15 months have impacted their instincts,’ the mayor said, according to Chicago Tribune. ‘Do they stop or do they keep driving? When I stop here is it my career on the line?’ The 55-year-old Chicago mayor said he has asked Lynch to support ‘good’ officers who are involved in community policing.
In September, Chicago saw 60 homicides, marking the city’s deadliest month since 2002. According to police department statistics, homicides and shootings have skyrocketed 21 per cent compared to the same time the year before. On September 2 alone, there were nine fatal shootings in Chicago, making it the bloodiest day in more than 12 years.
Dean Angelo
Early last week, a group of Chicago’s black aldermen called on the mayor to fire Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, but Emanuel stood by him. Dean Angelo, president of Chicago’s police union, acknowledged that rank-and-file officers are concerned about the increased scrutiny in the wake of the recent events involving police-involved deaths, but he rejected the notion that they are neglecting their duties for fear of getting in trouble. ‘They’re out there working their buns off, and they’re looking for a fair shake,’ Angelo stated.
DCG