Commentary: Given the desperate need to reform the Chicago Police Department and hold police accountable, Vallas is our best hope for a safer Chicago.
Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas walks to a press conference after attending a mayoral debate with opponent Brandon Johnson at the WGN television studios, March 21, 2023, in Chicago.
The biggest issue facing our city is gun violence, and one of the biggest barriers to addressing it is an ineffective Police Department. For too long, the Chicago Police Department has had a go-it-alone mentality about fighting crime with big specialized units aggressively descending on high-crime neighborhoods like an invading force. The predictable result of this approach is lack of trust and angry, frustrated communities.Worst of all, too many violent crimes never get solved.
As Chicagoans head to the polls to choose their next mayor, the question they should ask is which of the two candidates is best able to transform the $1.9 billion Police Department from a demoralized, ineffective police agency into an accountable and transparent public safety partner with the community.
The fourth pillar, however — fixing CPD — is by far the hardest of all. I have worked with extraordinary officers and commanders in Chicago who have been fantastic partners with the violence prevention community and who risk their lives every day to keep all of us safe. At the same time, there’s also a deeply ingrained culture of passive-aggressive resistance to reform among some police and their union, the Fraternal Order of Police.
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