Attorney General Jeff Sessions backed the Chicago Police Department Friday in the face of a proposed plan to overhaul it, saying that “police are not the problem, criminals are the problem.”
Sessions addressed the Chicago Crime Commission, and criticized a plan negotiated between Chicago and the state of Illinois to overhaul the city’s 12,000-member police force under court supervision. The plan came after Officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting teenager Laquan McDonald.
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Sessions also said that Chicago’s crime problem “was exacerbated by extreme ‘sanctuary city’ policies that protect illegal alien criminals from deportation.” He urged Chicago not to “capitulate” to criminals and told them to back their police in order to reverse the trend of violence.
“You must give [police] your support, morally and financially. They place their lives at risk every day for you. They need to be enthusiastic about their work. They need to know they are respected. They need to know that the city and the people understand the challenges they face. They need to know that they are supported,” he said.
“Again, the police are not the problem,” he added. “The criminals are the problem.” – READ MORE