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Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that Pritzker should
call for help.
“I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it
would be one of the safest!!!” Trump said.
Pritzker was asked about the post at an event in Decatur on
Monday afternoon.
“I wish that he would stop tweeting or Truth Socialing and
instead actually help us with the things that we really need,”
the governor said.
Pritzker said some terrible tragedies have occurred.
“It’s why I have asked for help from the FBI, the DEA, the ATF,”
the governor said.
The Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, executive director at Live
Free Illinois, said Chicago does not need militarization.
“We saw what happened when Donald Trump brought troops to
Chicago. It was complete and utter chaos. He doesn't have a
track record of bringing peace. He has a track record of
bringing chaos and turmoil,” Bates-Chamberlain told The Center
Square.
Bates-Chamberlain joined other activists and Chicago Deputy
Mayor of Community Safety Emmanuel Andre at City Hall on Monday
to call for a new city department of gun violence prevention.
In April, Mayor Brandon Johnson hired Andre, a former public
defender and restorative justice advocate, to the position
previously held by Garien Gatewood.
Bates-Chamberlain told The Center Square the new department
would have procurement power and would be funded by Chicago
taxpayers.
“We believe that this this has to come from from the tax base
for it to be sustained long term. The first approach to this
would be coming in budget neutral,” Bates-Chamberlain said.
Bates-Chamberlain said the department would identify all of the
resources currently invested in violence prevention and put them
under one roof.
“When you have money in programs functioning all over across the
city that we know that naturally that they're not working
efficiently, but when you’re able to deploy and coordinate those
resources out of one department that just naturally helps with
making sure that the strategies are one resource moving
efficiently,” Bates-Chamberlain said.
Live Free Illinois receives state taxpayer funding.
When asked by The Center Square about potential state funding
for the proposed department of gun violence prevention,
Bates-Chamberlain said supporters are in conversations with
Illinois Assistant Secretary of Firearm Violence Prevention
Quiwana Bell.
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