CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will deliver his new, more comprehensive public safety plan for the nation’s third-largest city on Thursday, drawing a spotlight on his leadership amid a troubling spike in street violence and an ongoing Department of Justice investigation of his police department.
The agenda is expected to include more support and mentorship of youth, a key theme he’s expected to address in the evening speech at a community college campus.
“You give the kids of the city of Chicago a positive alternative with a caring adult, they’ll go the positive route,” Emanuel told reporters Wednesday. “The gangs are out there trying to be both role models, mentors and a family for these kids.”
In recent days, Emanuel’s administration has announced plans to add nearly 1,000 new police officers, an expansion of the use of body cameras and mandatory de-escalation training for all officers.
Emanuel, in his second term as mayor, has been trying to rebuild trust in his leadership, particularly after the 2014 death of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager shot 16 times by a white police officer. The officer was charged with murder, but only after a judge ordered the public release of the graphic squad car video last year. Circulation of the video prompted frequent protests, allegations of a cover-up and repeated calls for Emanuel to step down.