An analysis piece in the Sun-Times by David Struett finds that Mayor Lightfoot’s anti-violence plan is a flop:
The plan, “Our City, Our Safety,†proposed flooding the 15 most violent community areas with resources — not just violence intervention programs but help with jobs and housing and health.
But nearly a year into the effort, gun violence is up in at least nine of the areas. The numbers are far starker when you look at how crime has risen since 2019, when Lightfoot took office, before the current spike in gun violence swept the city and the country.
Fatal shootings in West Pullman are up 566% from this time two years ago, North Lawndale 201%, South Lawndale 160%, Chatham 116%. Only three of the areas targeted by City Hall are down from 2019: West Englewood, Roseland and Humboldt Park.
Yet the administration has yet to funnel any extra assistance to some of those dangerous neighborhoods, particularly on the Far South Side, according to the city’s website. The West Pullman community area, for example, has received none of the $36 million released by City Hall under the plan this year.
Who could possibly have known that competence in executing plans was actually needed? What is Mayor Lightfoot good at?
Experts in the field — some of them involved in the debates over what to fund — say the plan is admirable, but they have serious doubts about the way it’s being implemented.
In interviews with the Sun-Times, they questioned Lightfoot’s management style and her ability to get things done. They also claimed much of the money so far has been going to established outreach groups while overlooking jobs and education programs that may be more expensive and more complicated to administer.
“It’s a solid plan,†said Lance Williams, urban studies professor at Northeastern Illinois University who has sat in on the funding discussions. “The problem is that there are no resources attached to the plan to make it actionable. The city’s approach is just to PR their way through the shootings.â€
In related news 11 people were murdered over the last weekend on the South and West Sides of Chicago. 2021 is likely to exceed the violence of 2020 which by my reckoning was the most violent in the city’s history on a population-adjusted basis.
LOL Leadership and execution matter; who knew? How about everyone here draw up their own plan. Some would probably be better, clearly none would be less effective.
I think Lightfoot needs a new position, like Director of Rare Events at some think tank.
Lighting and cameras.
Negroes count on anonymity and threats to continue their reign of terror.
Spend and take action or let it continue.