Durbin: President Trump Tweets Big On Federal Help For Chicago Violence, His Nominee For Attorney General Ducks The Issue
SHEPERDSTOWN, WV – In recent exchanges with U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) pressed him to sustain and increase U.S. Department of Justice support for Chicago’s public safety efforts in light of the gun violence crisis in the city. Durbin also called on Sen. Sessions to honor and implement the Agreement in Principle that the City of Chicago and the Justice Department signed on January 13, 2017 that provides for significant reforms within the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to rebuild trust with the communities most challenged by violent crime.
On January 2, President Trump tweeted “Chicago murder rate is record setting – 4,331 shooting victims with 762 murders in 2016. If Mayor can’t do it he must ask for Federal help!” On January 4, Durbin met with Sen. Sessions about his nomination, handed him a copy of Mayor Emanuel’s public safety plan and asked Sen. Sessions about federal support for the plan. Sen. Sessions refused to make any commitment. Last night, President Trump tweeted “If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible ‘carnage’ going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!”
In his written response to Durbin’s nomination hearing questions, Sen. Sessions again refused to answer President Trump’s call for federal assistance in Chicago, refusing to commit to increase or even maintain federal public safety grant funding to help address the gun violence crisis in Chicago and refusing to commit to honor and implement the Agreement in Principle between the City of Chicago and the Justice Department.
“I remain concerned about Senator Sessions’ commitment as U.S. Attorney General – if he is confirmed – to helping the City of Chicago address its severe gun violence crisis. I have pushed for answers in our personal meeting and in writing from Senator Sessions and continue to receive the same non-answer. This is in complete contradiction with President Trump’s recent tweets on the issue,” said Durbin. “Last year saw a dramatic increase in shootings and the most homicides in two decades in Chicago. Now is not the time for the Justice Department to turn its back on the City of Chicago and its people.”
Durbin’s written questions to Sen. Sessions included the following questions related to Justice Department support in addressing Chicago’s gun violence and the recent Agreement in Principle:
1. Will you commit that, if you are confirmed as Attorney General, you will not seek to cut Justice Department grant funding for the City of Chicago and instead seek increases in that funding to help address the gun violence crisis there?
RESPONSE: I am committed to working with you and Mayor Emanuel on addressing the violent crime problem in Chicago. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as Attorney General, I will seek to best use the resources available to the Department of Justice to address violent and other crimes in Chicago and elsewhere throughout the country, and to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to help them address these issues. Resources are limited, however, and it would be unwise to commit to indefinitely providing a particular amount of federal resources to a single jurisdiction or for individual purposes without knowing how circumstances might change needs or priorities in the future.
2. Will you commit to provide federal resources and support to improve Chicago’s public safety, including helping the City to (1) hire additional officers and detectives through the COPS program; (2) purchase body-worn cameras and other equipment through the Byrne-JAG program and other Office of Justice Programs initiatives; (3) boost mentoring and violence prevention programs through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and other Office of Justice Programs initiatives; and (4) reform its policing practices pursuant to the investigation findings and recommendation made by the Department on January 13? Please respond to each subpart of this questions separately.
RESPONSE: I agree with you that each of the federal resources mentioned in your question are important for improving public safety and I am committed to working with you and Mayor Emanuel on addressing the violent crime problem facing Chicago. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as Attorney General, I will seek to best use the resources available to the Department of Justice to address violent and other crimes in Chicago and elsewhere throughout the country, and to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to help them address these issues. Resources are limited, however, and it would be unwise to commit to indefinitely providing a particular amount of federal resources to a single jurisdiction or for individual purposes without knowing how circumstances might change needs or priorities in the future.
RESPONSE: I believe the COPS Hiring Program serves an important purpose, particularly given the increase in violent crime across the country and the challenges facing State and local law enforcement and the communities they protect and serve. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as Attorney General, I will seek to best use the resources available to the Department of Justice to address violent and other crimes throughout the country, and to partner with State and local law enforcement agencies to help them address these issues. Resources are limited, however, and it would be unwise to commit to indefinitely providing a particular amount of federal resources for certain purposes without knowing how circumstances might change needs or priorities in the future.
RESPONSE: I believe the COPS Hiring Program [SIC- presumably should say Byrne-JAG] serves an important purpose, particularly given the increase in violent crime across the country and the challenges facing State and local law enforcement and the communities they protect and serve. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as Attorney General, I will seek to best use the resources available to the Department of Justice to address violent and other throughout the country, and to partner with State and local law enforcement agencies to help them address these issues. Resources are limited, however, and it would be unwise to commit to indefinitely provide a particular amount of federal resources to a single jurisdiction or for individual purposes without knowing how circumstances might change needs or priorities in the future.
RESPONSE: I believe the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention serves an important purpose. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as Attorney General, I will seek to best use the resources available to the Department of Justice to address violent and other crimes throughout the country, and to partner with State and local law enforcement agencies to help them address these issues. Resources are limited, however, and it would be unwise to commit to indefinitely provide a particular amount of federal resources to a single jurisdiction or for individual purposes without knowing how circumstances might change needs or priorities in the future.
3. Will you commit that, if you are confirmed, you will honor the Agreement in Principle that the Justice Department signed on January 13?
RESPONSE: While I have not been privy to the discussions that led to the aforementioned agreement, I believe it is important to partner with law enforcement agencies that require assistance, and the recommendations made by career staff can be useful in attempting to achieve those goals. As I testified before the Committee, I think that there are concerns with the impact of using consent decrees for policy purposes and that caution should be used in these cases. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as Attorney General, I will carefully evaluate this agreement and the internal information that led to that agreement, and continue to search for solutions to problems in policing so we can best protect the rights of individuals while also protecting the public from crime. I look forward to working with you, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Police Department on this important matter.
4. Will you commit that, if you are confirmed, you will work with the City to implement the reform recommendations made by the Department, including through the use of a consent decree?
RESPONSE: If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as Attorney General, I will carefully evaluate this agreement and the internal information that led to that agreement, and continue to search for solutions to problems in policing so we can best protect the rights of individuals while also protecting the public from crime. I look forward to working with you, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Police Department on this important matter.