Chicago 911 Dispatcher Blows Whistle on Lori Lightfoot: ‘Blood Is on Her Hands’
'All hell has broken loose'
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Violent crime is soaring in Chicago due to failing leadership and staffing shortages, according to a 911 dispatcher.
Keith Thornton blew the whistle on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot saying a “massive” amount of crime is taking place under her watch at “all hours of the day.”
“All hell has broken loose,” Thornton said.
“The blood, in my opinion, is on her hands,” Thornton said of Lightfoot
“What’s horrible is the lack of leadership and the failure of leadership throughout this entire city of Chicago — and it’s ridiculous because it does not have to be this way,” he added.
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Chicago has seen violent crime and homicide soar in 2021.
Seven hundred ninety-three people have been slain in Chicago in 2021, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Cook County has not seen homicide numbers this extreme since 1994, Axios reported.
In the Christmas period alone, Chicago saw one person was fatally shot, and another 17 were wounded.
But Lightfoot claimed she is addressing the issue.
“Keeping you safe is my priority. Not one of, but the first and primary priority,” Lightfoot said, WGN-TV reported.
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“This is not an academic exercise for me. I feel the urgency every day. It is heart-wrenching to hear the cries of the survivors who have had a loved one felled by gun violence,” Lightfoot added.
But Thornton blamed the leadership for the surge in violence.
He also noted Lightfoot neither “acknowledged” nor “wanted” federal help during the Trump administration.
“This is not a black problem, a white problem, a Democratic problem, a Republican problem, a Latino problem, this is an all-hands-on-deck problem, and everyone within Chicago should be fueled up — and that’s why I’m taking a stand,” Thornton said.
Thornton has spoken out against leadership amid the soaring crimes rates.
Alderman Nick Sposato, Alderman Anthony Napolitano, and other City Council members met to discuss issues of police manpower.
“We have to fight for crumbs. Since we are in a city that believes in socialism, give us our fair share and even things out. Start helping us on the Northwest Side and give us more bodies,” Sposato said.
Axios also noted police shortages are also driving crime.
“Arrests are down likely for a variety of reasons, some related to the pandemic and public health protocols, as well as the decrease in community trust in police, as well as a general pulling back of proactive policing,” Executive Director of the UChicago Crime Lab Roseanna Ander told Axios.
