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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson dodged repeated questions from MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Tuesday about whether an increased police presence in the city would help cut down on crime.
“Do you believe that the streets of Chicago would be safer if there were more uniformed police officers on the streets of Chicago?” Scarborough asked Johnson.
Scarborough posed the question to the liberal Chicago mayor multiple times. Johnson instead emphasized the need for expanded social programs, including affordable housing.
“I believe the city of Chicago and cities across America would be safer if we actually had, you know, affordable housing. Look, I’m not saying—” Johnson began, before Scarborough cut him off, noting it wasn’t the question he had asked.
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Scarborough pressed again, asking if more officers would reduce crime. Johnson said it shouldn’t be narrowed down to police alone, calling that an “antiquated approach.”
“Are you hearing what I’m saying?” Scarborough pressed again. “I’m agreeing with you that all of these other social programs are extraordinarily important. I just need a yes or a no and then this will be the last time I ask. If you get all of those other social programs that $800 million that New York City does, Los Angeles, other people do with great success? Would an additional 5,000 cops on the streets in Chicago help complement those programs to make Chicago safer?”
Johnson then argued it was about a combination of policing and social programs.
“We are working hard to make sure our police department is fully supported. I don’t believe that just putting out an arbitrary number of officers is the answer. What I’m saying is: it’s policing and affordable housing. It’s policing and mental and behavioral health care. It’s policing and youth employment. It’s a full package,” Johnson said. “Of course, we want to make sure our police department is fully supported.”
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His remarks came as President Donald Trump announced he planned to use federal authorities to next crack down on crime in Chicago.
Johnson said Sunday that Trump’s plan to send the National Guard to the city was a “flagrant violation of our Constitution.”
Trump hinted at cracking down on crime in Chicago on Friday while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office. This comes after he ordered the National Guard into Washington, D.C., to address crime.
The president called Johnson “grossly incompetent” and said his administration would handle the city next. He also claimed the people of Chicago were “screaming” for federal assistance in cutting down the crime rate.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., accused Trump of trying to manufacture a crisis in Chicago.
“The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention,” the governor said in a statement on Saturday.
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