TOGETHER. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER. WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE. >> MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON AND THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT SAY THEY'RE MOVING INTO A NEW AGE OF POLICING WHILE REBUILDING THE DEPARTMENT, BUT ARE CALLING FOR MORE MONEY, PATIENCE AND TIME. THE MAYOR'S 2024 SPENDING PLAN WOULD INCREASE THE OVERALL CPD BUDGET TO NEARLY 2 BILLION DOLLARS ACCOUNTING FOR MORE THAN 31% OF THE CITY'S 5.7 BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATE FUND. THAT'S BY FAR THE MOST OF ANY CITY AGENCY OR DEPARTMENT JOHNSON SAYS THE BUDGET WILL INCREASE BY 91 MILLION DOLLARS TO COVER THE COSTS OF CONTRACTUALLY REQUIRED BREEZES FOR EMPLOYEES. JOINING US TO DISCUSS THIS BUDGET AND SHARE THEIR INPUT ARE A SMALL DO GOMEZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT'S NOT HIM. MARK LEHMAN, SENIOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH THE CHICAGO TORTURE JUSTICE CENTER AND HIMSELF, A SURVIVOR ERIC WILKINS SURVIVORS ALLIANCE FOR HEALING AND JUSTICE AND BROKEN WINGS COORDINATOR WITH COMMUNITIES UNITED AND VIJAY FRANKLIN YOUTH ORGANIZER WITH GOOD KIDS, MAD CITY. JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR. THAT'S JAY, THAT'S A SWELL, THOUGH. THANKS TO YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US. THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR JOINING US. SO AS WE MENTIONED, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SUPERINTENDENT DEFENDED THEIR BUDGET PROPOSAL DURING A CITY COUNCIL HEARING JUST YESTERDAY. YOU SPOKE AT THE HEARING. WHAT ARE THE POINTS HE WANTED TO GET MY POINT, I WANT GIVE YOU WANT TO CONVEY CITY COUNCILMAN. I WANT TO GIVE A ARE WE USING 2% ITS BUDGET OR INCREASE IN HIS TO THE POLICE, WHETHER THIS CAN BE USED FOR OTHER RESOURCES AND BLACK PEOPLE. >> THAT'S WHY WANT TO GET ACROSS ANOTHER THING WAS ARE HEARD ABOUT THE NEW LIKE BUDGET FOR IMMIGRANTS AND I'M NOT SAYING THEY DON'T DESERVE ONE. AND JUST SAYING WHAT HAS BEEN PEOPLE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. I MEAN, WORSE CONDITIONS. THE SAME CONDITIONS ON THIS RACE STILL SAYING. NOTHING'S CHANGED. BUT WHEN THEY CAME LISTEN 180 MILLION DOLLARS. BUT YOU I DON'T I BE FOR BETTER RESOURCES, MY PAIN AND HERE >> AS WELL YOU'RE PART OF THE COMMISSION THAT HELPED SHAPE CPD NEW ERA, OF COURSE, BY NOMINATING SUPERINTENDENT SNOWING. DO YOU THINK THIS 2 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET PLAN IS THE RIGHT PLAN? >> I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S THE MAYOR AND THE DEPARTMENT AND THAT PUT TOGETHER THE BUDGET. MY ROLE IS TO GIVE SOME CLARITY AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT IN DEPTH AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GIVE THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE IN IT. THERE HAS BEEN CHANGES THAT I THINK ARE POSITIVE. THERE'S BEEN MORE INVESTMENT IN VICTIM SERVICES AND OTHER COMMUNITY POLICING THINGS. ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN LARGELY EXPENDED OUR CIVILIAN POSITIONS, MEANING COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIKE EVERY ONE OF THE TABLE COULD APPLY TO DO THAT JOB. WE DON'T NEED OFFICERS TO DO THOSE JOBS ANYMORE. AND I THINK THERE'S A POSITIVE STEP THAT WEIGHT. THERE'S ALSO BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DETECTIVE UNITS AND THEIR SUPERVISORS. I THINK THAT'S TRYING TO ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IMPUNITY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO ARE FEELING BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CRIMES THAT GONE SOFT. AND I THIS BUDGET IS AT LEAST AN ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS I WILL SAY THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT TO BE SAID ABOUT THE INCREASE ACCORDING TO MY OFFICE, ESTIMATION. THE INCREASE, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU COUNT, IT FALLS BELOW 5%, WHICH IS STILL BELOW INFLATION. AND I THINK THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS ARE STILL THERE AND WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERATE OF THAT. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW THE EXPANSION OCCUR. >> MARKET PRIORITIES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE CPD BUDGET SET? >> FIRST OF ALL, GIVEN KABUL POLICE DEPARTMENT, ANYTHING BASED OF THE FACT THAT SINCE 1972, IN THE CITY CHICAGO. WE HAVE NOT RESOLVED WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS POLICE TORTURE. WE PAYING OUT MUCH AS 100 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TO DEAL WITH POLICE OFFICERS THAT BREAK THE LAW THAT COMMIT CRIMINAL ACTS THAT TAKE EVEN WOMEN TO POLICE STATIONS SLAM THEM UP AGAINST WALLS, CAUSING THEM TO LOSE THEIR CHILDREN. >> WHAT WE TELL YOU, I AM NOT FORGIVING. THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT. ONE PENNY UNTIL ONCE IT HAS BEEN FIRMLY CLEANED UP. >> ERICKSON QUESTION TO YOU. WHAT'S WHAT'S TOP OF MIND FOR YOU WHEN IT COMES TO THIS POLICE BUDGET? >> I LOOK AT IT AS AS REALLY LIKE SIMILAR WHAT WILL MARK WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, HAVING A BROTHER WHO WAS WRONGFULLY AND CAUSED 2.80 AND TO HAVE A CONSENT DECREE. THAT THEY CAME BEHIND THE MOTIVE. THE CLIMBING DOWN 2014, YOU KNOW, AND THE MONEY THAT IS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM FROM FROM THE CONSENT DECREE YOU WANT TO MONITOR IN PART TO 1.7 MILLION AND JUST GIVEN OFFICES. I WAS IS GOT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. YOU NOTHING YOU KNOW, THOUGH, THE SETTLEMENTS TO TAPE WAY TO ME. AND I DON'T THINK THE PRICES GIVING PEOPLE IS IS ENOUGH. YOU KNOW, I THINK SHOULD BE A TEACHING A TEACHING MECHANISM FOR THE THE OFFICES, YOU KNOW, TO TO, LET THEM KNOW THAT SOME THINGS AND GOING TO BE ASSESSED. I MEAN, A YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. >> SOUNDS LIKE YOU WANT TO SEE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, AS HE SAID FROM THE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. OH, YOU DID WELL, THOUGH, JUST REFERRED TO THE 91 MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE. JOHNSON HAS SAID THIS IS ABOUT WORKERS GETTING THE RAISES. AND YOU SAID IT'S LESS THAN 5% ON. AS WE ALSO MENTIONED, THOSE CPD IS BUDGET ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY A 3RD OF THE CITY'S DISCRETIONARY FUND. ARE WE SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY ON POLICING 2 BILLION DOLLARS? NEARLY 2 BILLION I BEGUN WHETHER OR NOT IT'S TOO MUCH OF TOO MANY. I THINK THAT EVERY RESIDENT WILL PROBABLY HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON IT ARE SOME RESIDENTS THAT ARE FEELING REALLY IMPACTED BY PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS AND FOR THEM, THE POLICE MAY BE THE ANSWER. AND I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE HEARD OTHER RESIDENTS THAT ONE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT POLICE AS AN ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT HAVE EITHER OR MINDSET AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW CHICAGOANS WE DESERVE PUBLIC SAFETY IN A HOLISTIC WAY. I THINK YOU KNOW, WE CAN AGREE THAT THAT'S THE PATH FORWARD AND WE CAN READ THAT A LOT OF OTHER PLACES DO A BETTER JOB US THERE ARE. I THINK A LOT OF CONCERNS IN THE BUDGET. AND IN GENERAL, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. I THINK THE LEGAL SETTLEMENTS ARE HUGE CONCERN TO US BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S JUST MONEY THAT RACING ON BAD THINGS THAT WE ARE GIVING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MONEY TO PAY FOR ITS ALLOCATED EVERY YEAR. IT'S 1.5 THIS YEAR MILLION DOLLARS. IT'S HEARTS. I THINK COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SEE THAT THERE'S AN ALLOCATION FOR POLICE OFFICERS TO DO WRONG THINGS. WHICH MEANS IS THAT THE EXPECTATION THAT POLICE OFFICERS ARE GOING TO RUN THINGS. JAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PEACE BOOK ORDINANCE PROPOSED BY YOUR GROUP. GOOD KIDS. CITY. A PART OF THAT PLAN PROPOSED TAKING 2% OF CPD IS BUDGET. >> TO FUND NEIGHBORHOOD PEACE KEEPERS IN MEDIATORS. IT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BUT HIS SPENDING PLAN DOES PROPOSE EXPANDING THE CITY YOUTH JOBS PROGRAM UP TO JOBS EXCUSE ME, 20,000 JOBS. DO YOU THINK THAT'S A FAIR COMPROMISE FOR NOW? DO YOU TRUST THAT PIECE BOOK MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN A FUTURE >> TO ON I DON'T THINK THAT'S A NO FLY. I DON'T THINK THAT'S A NO FLY. YOU'RE GIVING OVER A BILLION DOLLARS TO POLICE OFFICERS. BILL, YOU'RE NOT GIVING LIKE AT LEAST 30,000. TEENAGE IS JOBS. DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND LIKE THE YOUTH IN A CITY LIKE THE YOUTH IS THE LAST HOPE. YOU DON'T GIVE LIKE THE PROPER RESOURCES ON ANYTHING THIS SEASON GET WORSE CAN. NOBODY BE LIKE. DES THE KIDS FALL. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT ONLINE AND PHONES. THAT'S THAT'S THE MAYOR'S TOLD US THE GOVERNMENT WHILE WE ONLY GETTING 2% OF THAT MONEY AND IT IS LIKE THEY'RE STILL POVERTY, WRITTEN COMMUNITIES. THERE'S NO NO RESOURCES. KNOW MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS. THEY KNOW P CIRCLES. WHAT OF THE KIDS GET ROUGHED UP BY THE POLICE? AND THEN THEY'VE BEEN AN ACE IN DIVISION 6 OR IN A SALE. WAS GOING WITH THEM? YOU'VE GIVEN MONEY TO THESE OFFICES. BUT THE SAME OFFICE GOING TO GO OUTSIDE NICE TREES, BUT THE KIDS SOMETHING TO ANYTHING THEY WANT BECAUSE I'M A BE ON HIS POLICES. ILLEGAL GAME. IT'S ILLEGAL GAME TO SO YOU THINK OBVIOUSLY SPENDING THIS MUCH MONEY ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RATHER SEE MORE MONEY SPENT THAT THE VARIOUS ON JOBS IN PEACE. BOOK NEWS SO JOHNSON HAS SAID THAT EVIDENCE OF HIS NEW APPROACH PUBLIC SAFETY CAN BE FOUND OUTSIDE THE POLICE BUDGET, INCLUDING A PLAN KNOWN AS TREATMENT, NOT TRAUMA. THAT WOULD DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF COUNSELORS WORKING TO RESPOND TO 9-1-1. CALLS. >> TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISES. >> THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING I'VE BEEN PUSHING SINCE STEPPED INTO THIS ROLE. WE DO WANT TO SHOW UP AS THE POLICE AND THE SITUATIONS AND HAVE A SITUATION ESCALATE WHERE OFFICERS AND NOT NECESSARILY TRAIN, EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE SEE TRAINED OFFICERS. BUT IF WE CAN GET IT, SOMEONE TO HANDLE THAT JOB AS A CLINICIAN, SOMEONE WHO HAS THE BACKGROUND IT FREES UP OFFICERS FROM THAT JOB, HE GETS THAT PERSON, THE HELP THAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED AND NOBODY TRAUMATIZING THIS SITUATION. >> MARK, DO YOU THINK THIS MATCH IS JOHNSON'S CAMPAIGN PROMISES? >> AND IT DOES NOT MATCH THE CAMPAIGN PROMISES WHEN WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL LANGUISHING BEHIND PRISON WALLS AND THEY ARE SUFFERING. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRAUMA, THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE SET BEHIND PRISON WALLS 4 TO 3 DECADES. WE TURNED BACK INCLUDE THIS SOCIETY. WE NEED BETTER PROGRAMS. WE NEED MORE MONEY ALLOCATED 2 BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. THINK THAT REALLY HIRING A POLICE SUPERINTENDENT IS STATING THAT HE WANTS TO BE AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS RESIDENTS. WELL, WE WENT THROUGH THAT ERA WITH TINY WE'RE DEALING WITH IT WITH ANOTHER POLICE OFFICER BY THE NAME OF KIND MOVED WELL AND MANY OTHER ONES LIKE RAYMOND, ALL KABBALAH. AND ME TELL YOU, GUESS WHAT, IT HAS NOT STOPPED. >> CRIME IN COMMUNITY, MANY JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY AT ERICA. THE LAST WORD WE GOT JUST COUPLE OF SECONDS. ERIC, DO YOU THINK THIS INVESTMENT COULD MAKE A DENT IN JOHNSON'S OVERALL PUBLIC SAFETY APPROACH? >> NO. >> I AGREE WITH MARK. YOU KNOW THE NOTE IN THE 4 MILLION DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED 4 MILLION DOLLARS IS SPENT ON THE KIDS ALONE. I HAVE 2 SMALL CHOOSING TO GET MY MOM ALWAYS SAYS 11, YOU KNOW, AND AND WATCHING GROW UP AND SAYING COMEY CAME UP, MAN AND FACE WOULD DO WITH SAME CHALLENGES. LIFE IS LIKE, OH, OH, AND WHEN WE GO CHANGE, TELL YOU'D LIKE TO SEE. >> SOMETHING MORE SOMETHING WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT LONGER. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE TO CLOSE IT OUT HERE AS WELL. DO GOMEZ MARK CLEMENT'S, ERIC WILKINSON, BUDGET FRANKLIN,