WATCH: Chicago hearing addresses police workload; resident calls for federal help

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Chicago city council members did not discuss potential federal deployments during a public safety meeting Wednesday, but a resident called out Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s opposition to President Donald Trump.

The Chicago City Council Public Safety Committee heard testimony about a pilot program which would allow non-police responses to 911 calls for parking violations.

Alderman Andre Vasquez said city officials dump too many jobs on police officers.

“We have way too many officers out here doing way too much. They’re getting burned out. They’re not getting their days off. It’s getting harder for them to make critical calls in the moment,” Vasquez said.

Vasquez expressed strong support for the pilot program and suggested that every city department should be audited to see if it is effective.

During the public comment period before Wednesday’s meeting, Chicago resident Tiwon Sims spoke in favor of federal help.

“The governor, Pritzker, thinks that it’s an excuse for the president to come in and aid Americans. There were 58 Americans shot over the weekend, eight dead,” Sims said.

Sims said the mayor and the governor are wrong to oppose federal help.

“Pritzker seems to think that that’s an excuse, however, someone should inform him that that is a presidential obligation to protect the American people,” Sims said.

Pritzker and Johnson have regularly criticized Trump since he took office in January.

Johnson said the president doesn’t care about gun violence.

“The Trump administration continues to try to use the real pain and loss of gun violence victims as a pretext for expanding his own power,” Johnson said Tuesday.

Wednesday’s committee hearing was delayed due to a disturbance. Police and the council sergeant-at-arms cleared the chambers after a discussion involving longtime Chicago resident George Blakemore, who usually is among the first to speak during the public comment period but did not speak Wednesday.

Several pro-Trump residents said they were denied entry to the council chambers Wednesday until public comment registration was already full.