Chicago looting update: Mayor Lightfoot, CPD Supt. Brown face criticism over city's response plan
Many wonder why officers didn't have body cameras at Englewood shooting scene that sparked looting
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot facing criticism today over the city's plan for responding to the widespread looting downtown early Monday morning.
There are also questions about why officers did not have body cameras at the shooting scene in Englewood that police say sparked the looting.
Several aldermen are raising questions about the city's preparation or lack thereof for dealing with looting?
"Unequivocally the mayor of Chicago failed her city," said Ald. Ray Lopez, 15th Ward.
The criticism comes after the second round of widespread looting in Chicago in two months. The mayor and police superintendent are now coming under fire for the city's apparent lack of a plan or inadequate response to prevent the criminal behavior that played out early Monday morning.
Chicago restricts access to downtown streets, bridges, limits transit overnight after looting
"Well, let me tell you, it's no question that the city of Chicago deserve and they should demand better, the responses that the city is getting right now is atrocious. The lack of resources that are being rolled out the, letting people just run amok out here in these communities to be able to loot and destroy properties like they're doing right now. It's a travesty," said Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th Ward
WATCH: Mayor Lightfoot, CPD Supt. Brown address overnight looting in Chicago
Critics say the mayor was warned that there needed to be a plan, and they contend those concerns were dismissed. Now they are demanding action.
"We can never allow this to happen again. So I'm calling on the mayor right now have a plan, meet with the aldermen tell us how you're going to prevent this from happening again. And the weekends coming fast, have it by Friday," said Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd Ward.
VIDEO: 2nd ward Alderman Brian Hopkins reacts to widespread looting, damage in downtown Chicago area
The mayor dismissing her critics during a telephone news conference
"I don't spend a lot of time thinking about comments from people like that that are always quick to criticism and don't come forward with concrete solutions," she said.
COPA also raised concerns Tuesday about police officers not wearing body cams at the scene of a police-involved shooting in Englewood Sunday, that's believed to have sparked the looting. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said there just aren't enough to go around, but he's addressing that problem.
"We have been, and will continue to look at scrubbing the inventory of body cams so that we can redistribute, a contingent of body cams to some of these teams that were created from officers who were at one time plain clothes and now are in the neighborhoods patrolling," he stated.
RELATED: Looting task force established as Chicago cleans up devastated downtown businesses
The mayor blamed the prior administration for negotiating a contract for body cams that she called highly problematic. She stressed the need to make sure officers who regularly interact with the public have them.
