Gov. JB Pritzker in his June 12 written statement before the House Oversight Committee said, “My responsibility is to ensure all Illinoisans feel safe in their homes, their businesses and their communities.” About three weeks later, 55 people were shot in Chicago, eight fatally, during the Fourth of July weekend. Over the Labor Day weekend, 59 people were shot, seven fatally. During the weekend of Sept. 15 at least 23 were shot, four fatally.  

Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, you protected the delegates attending the Democratic National Convention. Are your constituents entitled to the same level of protection? Why reject the help from President Donald Trump if it will save lives?

African Americans, the Democratic Party’s most loyal voter base, account for a disproportionate number of gunshot victims. “Since 2010, Black Chicagoans have made up 78% of victims of reported gun violence in Chicago despite making up only about 28% of the population in Chicago,” CBS affiliate WBBM-Ch. 2 reports. And more than 690 people ages 20 to 29 were reported to be victims of gun violence in Chicago over the last year, the highest of any age group. Our young people are being slaughtered while elected leaders jockey to protect their turf and operate in silos. Pritzker, Johnson and Preckwinkle all have security details. What about the people being shot on the South and West sides of Chicago?

In 2021, Pritzker declared gun violence a public health crisis and invested $250 million to the Reimagine Public Safety plan. Since that investment, thousands of African Americans have been shot and killed in Illinois. The real question is: Do Black lives matter to Democratic leaders — other than at election time? 

Trump’s offer to send in the National Guard to provide additional resources on the ground could help quell the violence. It would also end the open-air drug markets that operate without fear of arrests. We have to try something different to save lives. Do citizens living in high-crime ZIP codes deserve a respite from the violence? 

The National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., has significantly lowered crime. The White House data shows there were 2,100 arrests from Aug. 7 through Sept. 8, the seizure of 222 illegal firearms and the dismantlement of 50 homeless encampments. In deploying the National Guard in Washington, lives have been saved, and potential victims have been spared. The most important thing elected leaders can do is ensure the people they represent are protected from violence and other crimes.

Unfortunately, Illinois elected leaders would rather ignore the problems of violence on the South and West sides. It is an inconvenient topic for them. Recently, Johnson in an interview referred to prisons and law enforcement as a “sickness” that has not led to safer communities. The mayor’s attitude toward law enforcement is reflected in his funding priorities. The Police Department is severely short-staffed.  A 2023 Tribune report of CPD data found that response times for high-priority 911 calls could take more than an hour for police to respond. In 2022, the wait time for 29,000 high priority calls exceeded one hour.  

With a shortage of police and availability to respond to 911 emergency calls, the city could use the help from the National Guard. Pritzker and Johnson should meet with the president and not continue insulting him through the media. There are lives that must be saved.  

The following are suggestions to save lives and stabilize communities in Chicago:

  • Pritzker, Johnson and Preckwinkle should meet with Trump to discuss ways to reduce violence especially in Black and brown communities.  
  • Pritzker, Johnson, Preckwinkle and Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart should beef up law enforcement personnel and resources in districts with the highest levels of violence. The surge should include mental health resources and jobs.
  • Johnson should establish a confidential hotline for citizens to call and report open-air drug markets.
  • Johnson should hire 1,000 more police officers and apologize for referring to law enforcement as a sickness.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently warned that Chicago’s transit system could lose federal funding unless the city improves safety, following a series of violent incidents on the CTA. The transit authority cannot afford to lose any federal funding. 

When elephants and donkeys rumble, the grass is trampled, and the people are crushed. All citizens in Chicago deserve safe streets. Young men ages 20 to 29 living in ZIP codes with the most violence are at risk. Elected leaders can no longer make protecting people political. 

Chicago leaders do not have crime under control. Black and brown communities are being traumatized by violence. People living in communities with the most violence would welcome a weekend with no shootings or homicides. Elected leaders should welcome Trump’s help to curtail violence.

I write this commentary to make those comfortable with protecting their turf and rejecting federal help uncomfortable. 

Willie Wilson is a business owner, philanthropist and former mayoral candidate.

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