Such a strange proposal by Governor Blah-Blah1 – National Guard to patrol the streets because “crime is out of control”. Obviously, crime is not out of control here, there is just a slight increase in the number of annual murders, in specific neighborhoods.
A day after Gov. Rod Blagojevich called Chicago’s rising crime rate “out of control” and offered state manpower to help, Police Supt. Jody Weis carefully waded into the political fray Thursday on the city’s behalf, saying reports on the uptick in crime have been exaggerated.
At a news conference, Weis walked a cautious line, avoiding laying blame, asserting that his department has a handle on crime but still welcoming assistance. The superintendent said any deployment of state police would need more discussion and planning, and the Illinois National Guard isn’t likely to be on the way. Weis said the Guard doesn’t have the police powers necessary to help fight crime in the city.
The governor’s offer, which the administration said potentially involved using state troopers to patrol streets and National Guard helicopters to carry out surveillance, raised questions about whether it was more the result of a political struggle with Mayor Richard Daley rather than the need for more police.
Chicago is not Baghdad, nor Detroit, Gov Blah blah must have just been pissed off at Daley for some reason to even suggest such a strange thing without prior notice or discussion.
- as Blagojevich is called in these parts [↩]