Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot faced a wave criticism on the city’s security record during the first televised mayoral debate on Thursday as candidates jockeyed to replace her at the top of the third-largest city in the US.
(Bloomberg) — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot faced a wave criticism on the city’s security record during the first televised mayoral debate on Thursday as candidates jockeyed to replace her at the top of the third-largest city in the US.
Chicago’s stubbornly high crime rates are the top issue in the upcoming election, sparking outrage among residents while contributing to some high-profile corporate departures. Overall crime jumped 41% last year, and rates are up 33% since 2019, the year Lightfoot took office.
“Safety is the number one, two, and three issue that’s facing our city,” said Sophia King, an alderman on the city council, who is running to lead the city. She said a bigger police presence is “the number one request” she gets.
Lightfoot cited a 14% decline in homicide rates last year, but acknowledged more needs to be done.
“My primary goal is to make sure that Chicago is the safest big city in the country,” Lightfoot said, pledging to hire more officers. “I recognize that people in the city don’t feel safe.”
US Representative Chuy Garcia, a top contender in the race who has called for Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown to be replaced, reiterated his criticism Thursday evening, saying he would hire more officers. He lambasted the city’s record, saying more than three quarters of the city’s homicides go unsolved.
Paul Vallas, a former chief executive officer of the Chicago school system, criticized the millions of dollars being spent on private security and called for more officers on public transport.
“The bottom line is we are short of police officers,” Vallas said, saying Chicago is down 1,700 officers since Lightfoot took office. He repeatedly called for better security on the trains and buses operated by the Chicago Transit Authority.
The city’s progress on crime has been uneven. While homicides fell in 2022, an area that includes the central business district known as the Loop experienced overall crime that rose 60% last year, and murders almost tripled there.
Candidate Ja’Mal Green, a community activist, and King accused Lightfoot of misrepresenting crime statistics. Brandon Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, said he recently had to replace a window in his family’s home on the west side of the city because it was pierced by a gunshot.
Vallas also attacked the city’s high property taxes, saying increases have been “draconian” and caused the cost of rent to spike. The high cost of living in the city has been cited as a factor causing a decline in Chicago’s population.
Still, Lightfoot has scored some wins recently. Last quarter, the city’s debt was upgraded by Fitch Ratings Inc. for the first time in more than a decade, while Moody’s Investors Service elevated Chicago out of junk status. That will cut borrowing costs and save the city billions when it taps debt markets.
See also: Lightfoot defends ‘tough decisions’ to lead city out of junk rating
Lightfoot sought to counter criticism that employers have abandoned Chicago on her watch — a key topic after the departures of companies such as Boeing Co., Tyson Foods Inc. and Citadel LLC. She said more than 300 companies have relocated to Chicago or expanded their presence there in the past two years.
The city’s mayoral election will be held on Feb. 28. If no candidate wins a majority of votes, a runoff will be held on April 4.
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