WEST TOWN — Mayor Rahm Emanuel railed against gangbangers and called for more trust between residents and police Wednesday in the wake of the shooting of 10-year-old Tavon Tanner.
Emanuel said he had already spoken with the 10-year-old's mother and planned to visit with the family in the hospital Wednesday, but he went on to blame Monday's incident on gang members who "feel no remorse or accountability from the criminal-justice system."
"I'll guarantee you one thing," Emanuel said. "The gangbangers that shot at that porch, where a family was sitting on the porch enjoying Chicago ... they have no moral remorse and no moral accountability."
"That member of that gang never calls and says, 'I'm sorry,'" he added. "These gangbangers know they can do that with impunity."
Emanuel repeated calls for stronger gun laws against repeat offenders, but also said a sense of trust needs to be rebuilt between residents and police.
"Ultimately, the goal is to have a Police Department that has the trust and confidence of the community," Emanuel said. "It's essential for public safety, and it's essential for legitimacy."
"What I believe is that the community and the Police Department have to work on trust — both sides," he said.
Emanuel called for "more police on the street, and getting kids, drugs and guns off the street, and holding gangbangers accountable for the actions that they do." Yet he did not call for hiring more police officers, as others have recently suggested.
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