Trump administration, Democrats announce local-federal partnership to expand Chicago police force

 

Trump administration, Democrats announce local-federal partnership to expand Chicago police force

By
Kristina Betinis

3 July 2017

On Friday, federal law enforcement officials and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) announced a new policing initiative, Chicago Crime Gun Strike Force. The “strike force,” aided by longer-standing federal law enforcement collaboration and new state legislation, is part of a bipartisan effort by Illinois Democrats and state and federal Republicans to expand police powers under the pretext of cracking down on gun violence.

The announcement from city officials came after an early Friday morning tweet from President Donald Trump: “Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help.” Trump referenced violence in Chicago numerous times during his 2016 campaign, citing it as part of a justification for his aim of further removing any restraints on police violence.

Adam Collins, spokesman for Democratic Mayor and former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, issued a statement welcoming Trump’s policing support: “Six months ago we made it clear that we would welcome additional federal support, and six months later we appreciate the twenty new ATF agents that are now arriving.”

Emanuel, who has presided over and actively covered up police murders in Chicago, has met several times with Trump administration officials since the November 2016 elections.

The twenty additional Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents are reportedly to work with city and state police. They join existing federal forces currently reported to be working in Chicago on gang violence, including the FBI and deputized US Marshals.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said that the team will be using the “big data”…

Read more