Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced a brand new aim for Chicago on Tuesday: fewer than 500 homicides subsequent 12 months.
Johnson floated the metric — which hadn’t been met since 2015 — throughout a speech on the City Club of Chicago, after noting the decline in homicides and shootings this 12 months. The mayor’s feedback to the gang of businessmen and politicians at lunch additionally leaned closely on his racial identification and religion as he sought to reframe the narrative of his tough 12 months and a half main the nation’s third-largest metropolis.
Chicago homicides in 2024: 532 folks killed. Here’s the way it compares to earlier years.
“Yes, we’ve work to do, however in 2025 we may have the chance, for the primary time in over a decade, to have fewer than 500 homicides,” Johnson mentioned. “We have the chance to cut back the lack of life if we actually get entangled, roll up our sleeves and never enable the skin narrative to find out who we’re as a metropolis. … We are Chicago. We have been by among the most treacherous occasions and have been trendsetters since our inception.”
The first-term mayor reportedly repeatedly referenced his model of underdog when describing his tenure. He touted early legislative victories on progressive, pro-work insurance policies reminiscent of increasing obligatory paid time without work for Chicago staff. He praised his administration’s work in strengthening the summer time jobs program for the town’s youth, reopening psychological well being clinics and housing as much as 15,000 migrants in the course of the top of the asylum-seeker disaster.
But Johnson’s speech got here throughout an unusually tough price range season, which noticed him first delay a ultimate vote on the spending plan from early November to this week – solely to push the date again to mid-December as soon as once more because it grew the resistance of the councilors. . He brushed apart issues Tuesday, saying, “There has by no means been a extra clear and open course of throughout this price range cycle.”
The occasion additionally befell amid ongoing controversy surrounding his former communications chief and longtime good friend, Ronnie Reese. City Club viewers questions didn’t contact on allegations associated to Reese’s alleged harassment, sexism, racism and different abusive conduct.
In his speech, Johnson joked concerning the pressures of workplace by noting that his goatee had grayed, however he additionally caught to his trademark non secular imagery as an instance how he views the load of his mayoralty. He described himself as a “righteous man in cost” and referenced a Bible verse about youth management when discussing his commitments to Chicago’s youth.
He once more backed Chicago Bears CEO Kevin Warren’s practically $5 billion plan to construct a stadium on a renovated lakefront close to Soldier Field that might be partially funded by taxpayers. That provide met stiff resistance in Springfield, which would wish to approve the package deal. But Johnson argued Tuesday that the $2 billion the franchise has pledged to contribute would pay dividends for the town, which nonetheless has an impressive debt on the present stadium.
“I’m not saying I’m Jesus the Christ. I’m simply saying that we solved a few issues,” the mayor mentioned after his final presentation of the proposal. “If you could have a greater plan than this, seek the advice of my senior advisor, Jason Lee.”
The mayor has additionally repeatedly referred to as consideration to his racial identification, declaring: “Now I’ll say one thing about our younger black males that many individuals usually are not accustomed to listening to: I like them. … We won’t demonize all black males.
He additionally sought to attach his two political bases — progressive and black voters — by sharing the story of his daughter Braedyn as soon as informing him, “Dad, you are making me indignant.” His use of “grafted,” a psychological well being time period popularized up to now decade to explain a response to previous trauma, was raised by Johnson as he touted his administration’s investments in psychological well being providers, such because the reopening of three new clinics this 12 months.
“There had been occasions after I needed to struggle to verify I did not lose my black card. It was powerful for me,” Johnson joked. After the City Club moderator in contrast that dynamic to the mayor’s interactions with the media, Johnson added, “The press definitely is aware of I’m black.”
Meanwhile, the mayor’s aim of seeing fewer than 500 homicides comes as the town has seen a downward pattern in gun violence since 2022. As of final week, 532 folks have been killed within the metropolis in 2024. A complete of 617 homicides are been registered till 2023. .
Although this continued decline started earlier than Johnson took workplace final 12 months, the promising course of the town’s crime statistics might symbolize an achievable aim for him to assert progress when coping with Chicago’s perennially cussed gun violence epidemic. The final time Chicago had fewer than 500 homicides was in 2015, with 493, in accordance with metropolis violence information.
Chicago in 2021 noticed the very best variety of shootings and murders in a quarter-century as cities throughout the United States grappled with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd. This spike in violence contributed to former Mayor Lori Lightfoot dropping her bid for a second time period final 12 months, although it is debatable amongst consultants how successfully and rapidly a mayor can actually affect crime developments.
If Johnson was shaken by headwinds, nevertheless, he did not present it, as he advised the City Club viewers that he intends to return to talking for the following 20 years.
“It did not work, y’all,” Johnson mentioned, closing his speech by citing the model of his predecessors. “Do you know the way I do know? Why am I right here. If it had labored the opposite method round, the town of Chicago wouldn’t have elected me. … Let’s do it one other method. And let’s ensure Braedyn can vote for me in 2031.”
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