When Chicago ran failed Mayor Lori Lightfoot out on a rail the country hoped sanity had returned to that great midwestern city. But in the general election, the residents doubled down and elected a man who is to the left of far-left Lightfoot, Brandon Johnson.
And now comes the blowback. The head of the Chicago police union says a majority of the members “do not want to work for Brandon Johnson as mayor” and as many as 1,000 officers may quit.
John Catanzara, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge 7, says the morale among the union members is “in the basement” with the election of Johnson who will expand Lightfoot’s failed criminal justice reforms.
Catanzara said: “There was a lot of the membership that was waiting to see what was going to happen last night, and there is a lot of somber reality facing members to decide, do they stay or do they go?
New Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson blames the city’s poverty and crime on corporations not paying enough taxes. Chicago gets everything it deserves with this one. Voters had a chance, and they said, “Hey, let’s get someone even crazier than Lori Lightfoot.” pic.twitter.com/Oie8ne5sFp
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) April 6, 2023
“And I will not be the least bit surprised if several hundred of them leave in the next 60 days.
“Where this goes we shall see. I’m willing to talk.
”I hope he’s got a little thicker skin” (than Lightfoot).
“If he can’t handle criticism, he probably shouldn’t have ran for this job.
“But to think we’re going to get along and be best chums is absolutely ridiculous.”
Johnson told “CBS Mornings” that investing in people is the key to reducing crime.
He said corporations are not paying their fair share when asked how he could pay for that investment.
He said: “You know, this notion that the only way we can protect the people of Chicago and the people of our country is this notion of being tough.
“You know, what is required in this moment is for us to be smart about our investments, to be critical in our thinking, and then to make sure that what we’re doing actually works,”
According to CBS:
Johnson said he wants the city to invest in areas of need, such as doubling the number of year-round job opportunities for young people.
Additionally, he backs an ordinance called “Treatment not Trauma,” which involves having first responders such as social workers attend calls requiring their expertise, instead of police officers.
“In Chicago, almost 40% of the 911 calls are mental health crises. We’re asking police officers to do their job and someone else’s that’s not strategic,” Johnson said.
The head of the Chicago police union says a majority of the members “does not want to work for Brandon Johnson as mayor,” and he’s predicting as many as 1,000 officers could leave.https://t.co/qsfv7gVwWv
— WBBM Newsradio (@WBBMNewsradio) April 5, 2023
