100 days in, Mayor Brandon Johnson defends his efforts to reduce crime
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson recently marked his first 100 days in office. On the campaign trail, he made some big promises. Has he kept them?
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov sat down with the mayor to talk about his progress.
During his campaign, Johnson said crime was the number one concern facing Chicagoans. It still is a top concern.
Johnson has named his pick for the next Chicago Police Department superintendent.
During a 10-minute interview, Kozlov asked Johnson about other steps he's taken.
Kozlov: "What are one or two things has your administration done, specifically, to combat street crime?"
Johnson: "As you know, that public safety is top-of-mind for everyone, especially someone like me who is raising a family in Austin."
Johnson has been quick to remind people he knows the perils and challenges of the streets. He has said, in his first 100 days, his commitment to getting at the root causes of crime and making streets safer hasn't wavered. It's why he named a first-ever deputy mayor of public safety, Garien Gatewood.
But what more has his administration done?
"Twenty-four thousand young people were employed for summer positions that we are working to build and capacity for year-round positions; also working with faith community, the business community, the philanthropic community to make critical investments," Johnson said.
Kozlov: "Can you give me a couple specific examples, though?"
Johnson: "Twenty-four thousand young people working, that is a public safety plan."
Kozlov: "The employment is concrete, the others though are just – in my opinion, so we could agree to disagree – are not concrete examples. They are what you're hoping and planning to do."
Johnson: "No, that's not a hope, and I'm glad your opinion is not the prevailing opinion of people that I talk to all over the city of Chicago. Do you know what people ask me all over the city of Chicago, what I've experienced over the first 100 days? How can they be helpful?"
During the campaign in February, Johnson said getting young people employed was top of his list. A CBS 2 public records request showed, as of June 26, a total of 19,909 youth had been hired in the city's One Summer program.
Kozlov: "Do you think you've since, in the last few weeks, reached the 24,000?"
Johnson: "We have 24,000 young people that have been hired for the summer."
Kozlov: "Our data shows 20,000."
Johnson: "We have 24,000 young people hired for summer positions."
"Other administrations have not had my laser focus on investing in people, and just know that I am very much committed to investing in people," Johnson added.
CBS 2 also has put in a FOIA request to get the final number of young people employed by the city this summer.
As for Johnson's next priority, he said it's the so-called Bring Chicago Home initiative, which would lower the tax on the sale of the vast majority of homes in Chicago, while raising the real estate transfer tax on property valued at $1 million or more, to help raise about $100 million a year to fight homelessness.
