PULLMAN — The mayor reaffirmed his support for the city's top cop Tuesday, citing improved crime statistics, but added, "We need to do better."
At a news conference in Pullman, where Police Supt. Garry McCarthy touted progress only the day before, Rahm Emanuel said, "I have absolute confidence in Garry McCarthy. With my confidence also comes a direction. We are making progress, but the progress is not good enough."
Emanuel pointed to statistics showing a 23 percent drop in shootings, with an even greater drop in murders, as well as a 15 percent decrease in overall crime.
"But that's not good enough," Emanuel said. "We can do better. We need to do better."
Emanuel repeated a call for greater public safety citywide, so that the residents of Pullman and Roseland feel as safe as residents in Ravenswood and Sauganash.
Chicago murders this year are down 26 percent from the same time last year, but are running ahead of figures from two years ago. Among major crimes, it's the only one not to decrease in the last two years.
