Reality bites, doesn’t it?
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $16 billion 2022 budget includes $1.9 billion for the police due to rising violence in an already violent city.
That is $2 billion more than the 2021 budget. The far-left is going to go nuts on Lightfoot.
The budget also includes $3.4 million for an oversight board for the department. The mayor wants to provide more resources to “officers suffering from traumatic experiences while on duty.”
Lightfoot has tried to play both sides on the police funding debate since George Floyd’s death in May 2020. For example, in October 2020, Chicago CBS discovered Lightfoot’s budget proposal included slashing $59 million from the police.
However, Lightfoot said the city would achieve it “by not filling hundreds of vacant jobs in the department.”
But Lightfoot made a stronger stance to support the department after two men murdered Officer Ella French and injured her partner in August. She promised the police budget would increase.
The mayor now wants to fill those vacant positions with resources from the city. She did not provide details for the 1,066 slots.
The Windy City has not seen so much violence since 1996, which had 796 murders. Chicago had 524 murders in 2021 by the end of August. That is 3% more than 2020.
It’s not getting any better. This past weekend, 56 were shot and nine died.
Five were killed over four hours.
A three-year-old was shot in the back on Saturday morning on the South Side. he is at Comer’s Children Hospital and in good condition. A 15-year-old girl was shot nearby on Saturday night. She is at the same hospital and also in good condition.
Over Labor Day weekend, eight children under 17 were shot. A four-year-old died after he was shot while getting a haircut in the living room. Overall, 67 people were shot that weekend.
In other budget news, Lightfoot will use $385 million in federal relief funds along with $299 million in savings to fill in the $733 million budget gap.
Lightfoot said this keeps the city from passing new taxes or massive fee increases on citizens. They will face “modest” property tax increases.
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