Trump Criticizes Chicago's 'Shooting Wave,' Mayor Responds
CHICAGO (CBS) -- President Trump is turning his sights, once again, to Chicago crime.
This time, telling U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to provide help to Chicago law enforcement while calling for more use of stop and frisk.
How did Chicago Mayor Emanuel respond?
CBS 2 political reporter Derrick Blakley has the story.
At a police convention in Florida, President Trump once again made Chicago the poster child for out of control crime.
"I have directed the attorney general's office to immediately go the the great city of Chicago to help straighten out the terrible shooting wave," Trump said.
But Mayor Emanuel insists the city is already straightening it out.
"Last year in 2017, overall gun violence was down about 20 percent in the city," said Emanuel. "And in the first nine months we have two years back-to-back with significant declines."
Still the president said more must be done, and offered his prescription.
"I've told them to work with local authorities to try to change the terrible deal the city of Chicago into the ACLU which ties law enforcement's hands and to strongly consider stop and frisk," Trump said.
That ACLU deal aimed to end what it called unconstitutional policing, making cops file on more detailed explanations for street stops, lengthy paperwork the FOP said made officers less effective on the streets.
But Emanuel rejected more stop and frisk.
"The failed policies he's talking about have no place for a city that's working together with communities about how to build not only trust but also a collaborative and cooperative relationship," said Emanuel.
Translation: increasing street stops, which many blacks view as mere harassment, would harm police relations the city's working to rebuild in the wake of the Laquan McDonald murder and Jason Van Dyke's conviction.
A spokesperson for Emanuel added "even someone as clueless as Donald Trump has to know stop and frisk is not a solution to crime." He also called Trump's proposal "tired rhetoric" and a sign that Trump is worried about the Republicans in the midterms.
