Now that the TRIAL OF KYLE RITTENHOUSE in Kenosha Wisconsin is over one Chicago Alderman has decided to take notice of Chicago’s stunning level of Violent crime. Alderman George Cardenas who happens to be Mayor Lightfoots Deputy council floor leader has noticed that a city he represents is undergoing stunning levels of violent crime. So far this year over 770 souls have been murdered, over 4,134 have been shot and armed Carjacking has reached the 3,000 level in less than 2 years. Indeed the Alderman thinks he has finally identified the reason.

One has to wonder if the Alderman is identifying the right target for what he describes as Chicago’s PANDEMIC of violence. Make no mistake he may have called it a PANDEMIC but it most assuredly is and EPIDEMIC let loose on the City of Chicago. He has appealed to Mayor Lightfoot to give Chicago’s Police Superintendent 2 more months to “clean it up or face dismissal.” In my opinion, he may very well be blaming or scapegoating the wrong person. The first question that comes to mind is, is Superintendent David Brown really running the Police Department?

After hearing former Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy complain after he was fired by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel about City Hall’s constant interference in police matters, it is certainly a valid question to ask. It certainly would be a stretch to believe the Micromanaging current Mayor Lightfoot is not guilty of the same interference in department matters that McCarthy complained about. Incidentally! when asked by reporters why he didn’t resist city hall interference the former Superintendent simply stated”I LIKED MY JOB AND WANTED TO KEEP IT.” One has to wonder just how much David Brown who was handpicked for the Job by Mayor Lightfoot loves his job? Is David Brown being Scapegoated or blamed for things he may have been ordered to do by City Hall or the Mayor herself? There have been so many plans and strategies put forth to combat the mayhem, several announced by the Mayor herself, that one has to wonder if they were the brainchild of a professional Police leader. It should be noted that none of the announced strategies even came close to stopping or preventing the horrendous escalation of violence in Chicago.

Chicago’s leaders and most assuredly Alderman Cardenas may want to take a look at the process of selecting Chicago Top Cop. Just how independent can a Top Cop be if interference is coming from the same person who hired you and is your boss and also has the power of dismissal? The best-case scenario for the future is after a Police Superintendent is selected by the Mayor on the recommendation of the Police Board (who by the way are also selected by the mayor) he or she should be given a set contract with a predetermined amount of time and can only be dismissed for cause by a majority vote of the City Council. To some and most especially politicians and future Mayors that may be a painful solution but at the very least it would identify whose is really is to blame or at fault. Hire the best possible professional person available and let that person do the job. Sink or swim on their own merits and decisions. Otherwise, change for the sake of Change or as is the case in Chicago, Change for the sake of politics.