Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood told WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” program on Monday that city officials are excited to see what kind of technology is available.
Garien Gatewood
“We will not allow people to come to this city, disrespect it and destroy it,” Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said at a news conference at the office of Office of Emergency Management and Communications. “Enough is enough.”
All four of the neighborhoods have suffered from decades of disinvestment, fueling a cycle of violence that has made them some of the most violent places in Chicago, officials said.
While views on how to address public safety are divided, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced his new plan Thursday, which he says will address the root causes of crime.
Chicago leaders joined “Chicago Tonight” co-host Brandis Friedman in a discussion focused on how residents, policymakers and community groups are working to address the deeply rooted issue of gun violence.
It will be up to Garien Gatewood, the city’s new deputy mayor for community safety, to make good on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s promise to take a new approach to the surge of crime and violence that took hold in Chicago.
In less than a month, Illinois will become the first state in the nation where those arrested for crimes will not have the option of paying cash bail. Instead, whether someone stays in jail as they await trial will be based on a series of metrics used by judges.
An analysis of 280,000 drug possession cases between 2000 and 2018 revealed about half of those cases were dismissed. In 2018, such dismissals rose to 72% of cases, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times and Better Government Association.
