(The Center Square) – Candidates in the 2023 Chicago mayoral primary election met Tuesday night for a debate-style forum hosted by WGN.
The forum was held at Steinmetz College Prep on the city’s northwest side and was one of the last as the candidates head into the final month of the campaign.
One of the issues discussed was how to shore up Chicago Police Department staffing and fill vacancies. The department currently has over 1,000 job openings for officers.
Candidates were asked what they would do to get more officers out onto the streets to try and make Chicago a safer place. Chicago Police statistics show that violent crime is up 63% over the last four years.
Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she wants to continue the work she has already been doing to help law enforcement.
“We have made adjustments in hiring criteria, so we bring more people in that has resulted in historic numbers of people that are applying,” Lightfoot said. “The yield we got last year was good, it was 956, almost 1,000, keeping pace with the number of officers that have retired.”
U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, D-Chicago, said poor leadership had led officers to leave the force.
“Failed leadership has gotten us to this point where people do not have faith in the department,” Garcia said. “This is because of failed leadership.”
Garcia also suggested setting up neighborhood patrols to limit crime in communities.
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas suggested offering retired police officers incentives to return to the force to help fill the vacancies.
“First of all, you slow the exodus. When you lose 2,000 officers in two years, you have an exodus problem and that won’t be accomplished until you have new leadership, community-based police strategy, and you get the officers on a new schedule,” Vallas said. “How do you fill the vacancies in the meantime? You fill the vacancies by inviting retired officers to come out of retirement to return and you can incentivize them with healthcare.”
The primary election is Feb. 28. Polling by Fox 32 Chicago shows Vallas as the current leader with Garcia in second and Lightfoot in fourth place behind Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson.