Police Supt. David Brown Blames Prosecutors, Judicial System In Part For Gun Violence, State's Attorney Kim Foxx Fires Back
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Following a July 4th holiday weekend in which at least 100 people were shot and 18 of them were killed, police Supt. David Brown and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx have gotten into a very public fight.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported Tuesday night, each side is blaming the other for the conditions that led to the violence – and it is not the first time.
It is clear that the violent acts have caught the eye of both the superintendent and the county's top prosecutor. But they have disagreed on why we have seen a surge in violent crime before, and now, they are back in the ring throwing jabs.
Whether it is the large crowds that took over downtown streets on the night of July 4th Sunday, or the rash of shootings this past weekend, the violence in Chicago is undeniably in everyone's face.
Brown insists his officers are not to blame.
"What's happening in the courts is creating this unsafe environment for all of us," he said.
Brown did not mince words Tuesday. He linked the surge in violent crimes to a relaxed court system releasing criminals on electronic monitoring or parole.
"I hear a lot about what the State's Attorney is doing. She charged these people with murder we brought before them that we've arrested - and the courts, the courts released them back into the community, creating an unsafe environment for all of us," Brown said.
Foxx fired back in a tweet. It read: "Finger-pointing instead of talking honestly about the violence plaguing our city doesn't help bring solutions that make our communities safer. It starts with apprehending those who pull the trigger; police must make an arrest before a case reaches the courthouse door."
This is not the first time Brown and Foxx have gotten into a PR tussle about crime. At a news conference following a looting spree from downtown to Lincoln Park early on the morning of Monday, Aug. 10 of last year, Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot both claimed criminals were emboldened because they were not being prosecuted – though they did not name Foxx personally.
On that occasion, Brown said the looters acted as if there were no consequences for their behavior, and Lightfoot called on prosecutors to deliver a strong message to the criminals that there will be consequences.
But when asked at the Aug. 10 news conference if the criticism was directed at Foxx, the mayor's response was "don't bait us."
Now, Brown and Foxx are back at it.
"Finger-pointing is your words," Brown said. "I'm bringing a debate about, do we continue to release violent people in our courts?"
Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans also took issue with Brown's remarks, saying, "Speculation based on isolated cases is not the same as a reality based on a complete picture, and research has shown that bail reform has not led to an increase in crime."
On the claim about bail reform, Brown does not buy it.
