'Please come on down'
CHICAGO | Weis says State Police aid welcome, but cites 'misconceptions'
A key Chicago alderman blasted Gov. Blagojevich on Thursday for insulting Chicago with his offer to put state troopers on the city's streets to fight "out of control crime."
But police Supt. Jody Weis was more diplomatic, inviting the State Police to "come on down" and work with Chicago cops.
(Dom Najolia/Sun-Times)
"I would welcome a partnership with the Illinois State Police," Weis said in a news conference Thursday. "They are a professional, top-notch law enforcement agency. If they are willing to send more folks to come down here and work with us, I would say 'Please come on down.' "
But Weis questioned why the State Police have yanked other assistance from Chicago.
"Their gun-tracking team was discontinued before I got here," he said of a State Police unit that worked with the Chicago Police. "In talking to some of our folks, that was the one thing that the Illinois State Police did a fantastic job at."
Weis also said he wished the governor would back the city's push for stronger state gun control laws.
Mayor Daley was out of town and did not comment on Blagojevich's offer.
But Ald. Pat O'Connor (40th), the mayor's unofficial City Council floor leader, the governor's offer disingenuous and destructive to Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. "We're one of the greatest cities in the world. For him to make it sound like this place is going to hell in a handbasket is very unfortunate," O'Connor said.
Weis said he wanted to clear up "misconceptions" about crime in Chicago. He acknowledged murder is up 13 percent this year, along with other crime, but said the city is still on track to finish 2008 with fewer than 500 killings.
In 2004, murders in Chicago dipped below 500 for the first time in about 40 years and have stayed under that level since then.
"Quite frankly, we need to get back to the mission and important job of fighting crime, instead of fighting misconceptions," Weis said.
The governor's critics questioned why he told reporters about his offer Wednesday before notifying the mayor or Chicago Police. They speculated that he was trying to embarrass the mayor, who opposes Blagojevich's efforts to fund his stalled construction program through casino expansion.
Weis said he expected to speak Thursday with the State Police. A source has told the Sun-Times the State Police may create an elite tactical team that would fight gang violence alongside local police.
"We would always be willing to take more folks," Weis said. "How we deploy those people is what we need to look at. For example, where are they best suited to go? They are excellent on the interstates, but would they work out best in certain neighborhoods?"