Emanuel Discusses Police-Community Relations At Mayors Conference
(CBS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel went to take part in a U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C. and protesters met him there, in dramatic fashion, with calls for change.
Emanuel he says he's not hiding from the controversy over policing in Chicago. That's why he wanted to discuss the issue with other mayors here, vowing to bring true police reform to Chicago.
"My view, as I said on this point, I'm gonna lead on this effort, we're gonna make reforms and changes that are necessary and part of being able to solve the challenge is being upfront and confronting it, not running away from it."
That's why Mayor Emanuel says, he didn't shy away from discussing police-community relations at the conference attended by 300 mayors from across the nation.
"We can either can patrol a community or be a part of a community," Emanuel said as part of a panel discussion. "If you're patrolling it, you're going to have a limited impact. If you're part of the community, you are going to build the trust and cooperation that's essential for safety and legitimacy of the police department."
A Black Lives Matter protester had an impact on her own, interrupting a news conference with a sign remembering Laquan McDonald and urging Mayor Emanuel to resign.
"I already thought he was pretty crooked, but this just makes him evil," said April Goggans.
The protest is another sign that the fallout over the Laquan McDonald shooting has affected the mayor's national image.
"It's not about me," Emanuel said. "It's about the city Chicago and its future and leading in that effort and making the changes necessary. I have one goal as mayor: that Chicago and every Chicagoan is better prepared for the future and I'm going to continue to make the tough decisions, the necessary decisions to lead Chicago to a better place."
Mayor Emanuel says Chicago's not alone. Issues about police force and oversight are confronting big cities across the country and found a sympathetic audience in fellow mayors grappling with the same issues.