Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy briefly became a sitting duck Tuesday afternoon as he addressed a sometimes-hostile City Council, a portion of which has called for his ouster.
“Superintendent, you’ve been extremely disrespectful to every member in this body,” Ald. Anthony Beale told McCarthy after expressing frustration that aldermen had little to no input in the decision-making process of the police department.
“You haven’t returned phone calls, you haven’t listened to what we’ve had to say to change the quality of life in our community. That’s why the black caucus stood up yesterday and asked for your resignation and for your firing,” Beale said.
“You are not the smartest person in the room all the time. You have to listen to what other people have to say,” said Beale, to the audible shock of some in the gallery. “I’m hoping that you change the error of your ways.”
The comments came after the City Council’s Black Caucus called Monday for the firing of McCarthy, saying he’s unresponsive to the drug dealing, loitering and other quality of life issues in the aldermen’s communities.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued a statement Monday stating that he supported McCarthy. He reiterated his position Tuesday.
The budget hearing had started about 11 a.m., with McCarthy beginning his testimony about 1 p.m. The meeting was continuing as of 2:30 p.m., with McCarthy fielding questions about crime statistics, staffing issues and overtime.
