* Chicago’s police hiring isn’t keeping pace with natural attrition, crime rates are up, police morale is down partly due to a lack of a union contract, and now this…
As police Supt. Jody Weis returns to the hot seat during a City Council budget hearing today, Chicago is outpacing New York and Los Angeles in 2008 murders.
Chicago, whose population is dwarfed by those cities, posted 426 killings through Tuesday, compared with 417 in New York and 302 in L.A.
* Cops are being taken off the streets to fill out more paperwork as well…
At today’s hearing, Weis may highlight what police view as a different problem: Officers have spent nearly 5,000 hours filling out inventory forms in the first nine months of 2008. “We’d rather they be on the street,” said Beatrice Cuello, deputy superintendent of patrol.
Oy.
* Yet, there is plenty of money for the mayor’s favorite “park”…
Arguing that Millenium Park has “transformed the image” of Chicago, Mayor Daley on Thursday defended his decision to spend $8.1 million in annual hotel tax revenues to secure and maintain the park.
Daley turned to the hotel tax after plans to create a conservancy funded by private donors fell through. The plan came under fire this week from a South Side alderman, who demanded to know why the hotel tax was being tapped when upkeep of the park beset by construction overruns “wasn’t supposed to cost taxpayers a dime” and neighborhood parks are a shambles.
On Thursday, Daley fired back.
“Millenium Park has transformed the image of the city. If it wasn’t for that, this city would be living in the past, and it’s really a city of the future. … This is a tourist atttraction — not only for citizens [of Chicago], but for the world. That’s re-defined Chicago,” the mayor said.
Um, mayor? Being known as the murder capital of America may also “transform” the city’s image, and not in a good way.
* Somewhat related…
* Stroger aide says no tax increase in new budget
* Some glitches in free rides initiative