Black Aldermen Calling For McCarthy's Firing
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Most of the city's African-American aldermen are calling for Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy to go, reports WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
Most of the members of the City Council's Black Caucus, comprised of 15 alderman, and a few other aldermen called on Mayor Emanuel to replace McCarthy at a city hall news conference Monday.
Their message: The street violence continues and McCarthy has had plenty of time to clean it up.
Their decision, they say, was made during the group's lunch meeting earlier in the day.
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Caucus Chairman and South Side Alderman Roderick Sawyer says residents are fed up with violence, drugs and other crimes on their streets and he says McCarthy hasn't kept the promises he's made.
"Commitments to diversity, commitments to increase numbers on the police department," Sawyer said. "We were looking for more than just covering what was being left as it relates to retirements and the like. We're looking for a more effective approach and we think that, quite honestly, five years have been long enough."
The aldermen speaking out include some former McCarthy supporters, like Budget Committee Chair Carrie Austin. McCarthy's police budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Late Monday afternoon, a statement from Mayor Rahm Emanuel seemed to sympathize with the aldermen, while not directly respond to their demand.
"The Mayor supports the work and commitment of Superintendent McCarthy and the 12,500 sworn men and women of the Chicago Police Department," the statement reads. "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."
Ward 4 Ald. Will Burns says he's willing to give McCarthy more time to get results.
The news comes after an especially violent September. In two weekends alone, more than 100 people were shot in rampant street gang attacks.
Compared to the first nine months of last year, murders were up 21 percent through the end of September. Shooting incidents were up 19 percent, and the number of shooting victims was up 14 percent.
Overall crime – including robberies, burglaries, and thefts – was down 7 percent.
The rise in murders so far this year is due in large part to September's numbers.
At the end of August, murders were down 7 percent compared to the first eight months of 2014.
The caucus is chaired by Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6)
Other members are: Ald. Pat Dowell (3), Ald. Leslie Hairston (5), Ald. Greg Mitchell (7), Ald. Michelle Harris (8), Ald. Anthony Beale (9), Ald. Toni Foulkes (16), Ald. David Moore (17), Ald. Willie Cochran (20), Ald. Harold Brookins (21), Ald. Michael Scott (24), Jason Ervin (28), Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29), Ald. Carrie Austin (34), Ald. Emma Mitts (37)
