Fioretti would sack Supt. McCarthy; Chuy leaves door open

If elected mayor, Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) said he would replace Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy and called Mayor Rahm Emanuel “an absolute failure” when it comes to handling violence in the city.

Fioretti’s remarks came as Emanuel on Tuesday made an address on public safety in his administration.

“The Emanuel-McCarthy leadership on crime in our city is just . . . a complete failure between the two of them,” Fioretti said at a morning event in City Hall.

“I think we have good people that we can look at in a future administration, even, in fact, in our rank-in-file. . . . I think we need a new strategy across the board.”

Asked point-blank if he would replace McCarthy, Fioretti said: “If it wasn’t clear from my answer, my answer is yes.”

In his remarks to the City Club of Chicago on Tuesday, mayoral candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia also pushed for a new direction on tackling violence in the city, stressing community policing and adding police officers on the streets. Garcia, however, fell short of calling for McCarthy’s replacement.

Ald. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (22nd) speaks at the City Club of Chicago on Tuesday. | Natasha Korecki/Sun-Times

“I want to leave the door open, but I also know that in Chicago we have lots of talent, police officers, women and men, who have contributed immensely to the city, who are true public servants, and they also deserve consideration,” Garcia said.

The mayoral election is Feb. 24.