Emanuel downplays police controversy
“Every mayor, my predecessors— have dealt with this in one way or another,” the mayor said during a taping of a radio program. “I am determined that this opportunity not be lost and that we finally fix what’s broken in the system.”
After nearly three months in the eye of the storm, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is downplaying the crisis of confidence caused by the police shooting of Laquan McDonald, arguing that every Chicago mayor and virtually every American city have faced a similar police crisis.
“On the police use of force, this is not [ new]. Everybody knows we have had other issues as it relates to the Abbate case, the Burge torture, the Summerdale [ district scandal]. Every mayor, my predecessors — have dealt with this in one way or another,” Emanuel said during a taping of the WLS- AM ( 890) Radio program, “Connected to Chicago,” to be broadcast at 7 p. m. Sunday.
“I am determined that this opportunity not be lost and that we finally fix what’s broken in the system — not just in the Police Department and not just in the oversight and accountability, although that’s important. But also in the more important part to me: the relationship building that has to happen between the community and the police department.”
The video played around the world of a white police officer pumping 16 rounds into the body of a black teenager has placed Chicago at the center of the controversy. But Emanuel maintained that Chicago is not alone among big cities grappling with policing problems.
“Cleveland has this. Cincinnati has this. Los Angeles with Rodney King had this. Baltimore has it. New York — the Garner case starts today. They have it. This is not unique to Chicago,” the mayor said.
“What’s unique is, we have a history and we’re going to finally, once and for all, make the greatest, longest, deepest effort in making the reforms necessary to help build and sustain the trust between the community and the police department, which is essential to public safety.”
Emanuel has been under fire for keeping the McDonald shooting video under wraps for more than a year and waiting until one week after the April 7mayoral runoff to authorize a $ 5 million settlement to the McDonald family even before a lawsuit had been filed.
During the radio interview, the man who has served as an aide to one president and the chief of staff to another was asked whether he has “ever had a pair of crises this bad to work on” than the police and school funding controversies.
“It was not exactly, ‘ Happy Days Are Here Again,’ when we walked into [ the White House on] President Obama’s first day,” Emanuel said, recalling the financial crisis and the near collapse of the auto industry.
“You call ’ em crises. I see ’ em both as challenges and as opportunities.”