Talk about bad timing.
On the eve of the most challenging weekend of the year so far for the Chicago Police, this weekend of the Fourth of July, 19 aldermen are demanding that Supt. David Brown set aside two or three three hours of his busy Friday — two or three hours of essential cop prep time — to chat with them.
A week ago, this might have made sense. By all means, the City Council should be deeply concerned about the level of violence in Chicago. And, by all means, it makes perfect sense for the full Council, meeting as a committee of the whole, to demand a special meeting with Brown — at the appropriate time — to ask every last question they might have.
A week from now, this might also make sense. Once the big weekend has passed but the rest of the summer, with its possibilities for violence, still lies ahead.
But an out-of-the blue demand, with no advance notice, that Brown drop everything and testify this Friday? Let’s understand that for what it is: Pure politics.
And dangerous politics, at that.
Whatever legitimate reservations aldermen might have about Brown’s game plan for quelling summer violence, calling Brown on the carpet at an eleventh-hour Council meeting is likely to accomplish little.
To the complaint that Brown has failed to meet with the Council, our impression is that’s mostly untrue. The superintendent regularly meets with individual and small groups of aldermen. More to the point, district commanders meet with aldermen all the time.
Our suggestion to the 31 aldermen who have not called for the special meeting? Skip it. If you don’t show up, there will be no quorum and no meeting.
Brown should skip it, too.
With an offer to take a rain check for a better time.
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