Republican-controlled House committee to hold hearing on Chicago crime at FOP headquarters

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Crime in Chicago will be getting some Congressional scrutiny this week.

The Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee is holding a public hearing on Tuesday to address the issue. Some Democrats are questioning the timing and calling the hearing political.

At the Fraternal Order of Police Headquarters, they have been setting up for the hearing that will put the spotlight on crime in Chicago.

With a government shutdown looming this weekend, Democratic U.S. Rep. Danny Davis called out Republicans for trying to distract attention from their own problems in the House.

"They can't muster enough agreement within their own ranks to just get a bill to the floor to debate, so it's purely political," Davis said.

Not so, says political analyst Gianno Caldwell, whose brother was murdered in Morgan Park in June of 2022. Caldwell was asked to testify at the hearing.

"This is not a stunt. Thank God for the light that they're shining on the situation in the city of Chicago. Thank God they care enough to be here and move an entire judiciary committee into the city of Chicago for one day just to hear what's going on," Caldwell said.

This hearing has actually been scheduled for some time, according to a representative from the committee. It follows a similar hearing in New York City back in April.

The FOP was a last-minute backup location.

"They had a location all set for today, originally when they were going to have the hearing. They decided they needed to change the date, I was told, and the venue that they had selected for today was not available for tomorrow. So, they called and asked, I said, 'Absolutely, we'll help make it happen,'" said Chicago FOP President John Catanzara.

The hearing will focus on how Democratic leaders are responding to crime. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, a frequent target of Republican criticism, is on the agenda.

Others think the agenda could have to do with trying to embarrass Democrats with their national convention coming there next summer.

"I think it makes them look political and petty, and it also shows that they're not focused on their job at hand," said Democratic State Rep. La Shawn Ford.

Ford said what Republicans should be doing is working with state and local officials to reduce crime.

Foxx released a statement, saying, "As the nation is on the verge of a Republican sponsored government shutdown, Jim Jordan has chosen to come to Chicago rather than fulfill his obligations to his constituents. Instead of focusing on the victims of mass shootings caused by weak gun protection laws, including his own district, he has chosen to spend his time with John Catanzara-the man who in the immediate aftermath of January 6th, proclaimed it to be a peaceful protest. This behavior is not surprising, but it is alarming. Jim Jordan seeking to exploit the deaths of black and brown victims of crime, rather than supporting common sense gun legislation is in line with his continued hypocrisy and alignment with his party that's beholden to a man currently facing 96 felony charges across 4 jurisdictions.""