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Mayor Emanuel Outlines Plan To Combat Street Violence

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Emanuel has laid out what he says will be his crime-fighting plan for his second term, if city voters give him one, reports WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

Most of Mayor Emanuel's speech at the Kleo Family Life Center touted his record on public safety. The murder rate is down, but he admits there is still too much street violence and too many guns.
The mayor promises to hire 350 more police officers in a new term and he vowed to use technology to increase trust between the officers and their neighborhoods.

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"Beginning this week, we're launching a pilot program to furnish body cameras to Chicago Police," Emanuel said. "This is just a tool, it is not the goal, it is a tool to help the police continually build trust with the community."

Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says a pilot program will be expensive and it will start in one district.

Alderman Bob Fioretti released a statement in response to Emanuel saying, "Maybe candidate Emanuel should talk to Mayor Emanuel about his record on fighting crime in our city. He is now pandering to the very people he has neglected for the last four years. It has taken an election for him to do it, but I'm glad 35 days before Chicagoans go to the polls, the Mayor has discovered our neighborhoods.

"There's nothing 2.0 about this proposal. We all favor body cameras and I've been talking about wrap- around services since Emanuel started cutting them four years ago. Chicago is ready for a new direction and I have laid out a holistic approach to making our streets safe and neighborhoods strong.''

Mayoral candidate Jesus "Chuy" Garcia spoke to the City Club of Chicago today. He said his focus on crime would be out on the streets with more police officers.

"I'm a community builder, I understand Chicago neighborhoods, I have worked with people all over Chicago who are working on this who understand what the solutions are and under my administration we will make that a reality," Garcia said.

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