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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Brandon Johnson winning the election to become Chicago's next mayor was a significant moment for progressive organizations like the city's teachers' union, but a cause for concern among police who are worried about his policies on tackling crime.
Johnson, a Cook County commissioner endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, won a close race against Paul Vallas—a moderate Democrat backed by Chicago's Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police. During his campaign, Johnson was forced to defend past statements in support of "defunding" the police.
The new mayor will succeed Lori Lightfoot, who became the first incumbent in 40 years to lose a reelection bid after being criticized for her response to rising crime in the city.
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The number of homicides in Chicago hit a 25-year high in 2021 with more than 800, according to the Chicago Police Department. That number decreased to 695 last year but is still far higher than when Lightfoot took office in 2019. Crimes including carjackings and robberies have also increased in recent years.
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In a bid to shore up support for Vallas, John Cataranza, the police union's president, had warned that up to 1,000 officers could leave the department if Johnson triumphed.
"If this guy gets in we're going to see an exodus like we've never seen before," he told The New York Times last week. Newsweek has contacted Cataranza for comment via email.
Johnson has said he doesn't plan to cut the number of police officers in the city, but that the current system of policing isn't working. He said he wouldn't defund police, but would "make sure we have smart police."
He has argued that more money for policing and incarceration isn't the answer to safer streets and that more should be invested in mental health care, schools and affordable housing. He has also supported the use of social workers and EMTs to respond to some 911 calls instead of police officers.
'Major Exodus'
In a Facebook post on March 28, the police union said that if Johnson won, there would be a "major exodus" from a group of 2,900 officers with either 20 years of service or those who are above the age of 50.
"Many of those officers are only sticking around with the hope this department can be turned around," the union wrote. "If we do not get Paul Vallas elected, there WILL be a major exodus from that group who will not work for a bigger anti-police mayor than the current one."
The post added that their departure "will absolutely translate to more crime, violence and blood on the streets of this great city because there will be so few police."
The police department is "already down nearly two thousand officers," the union added. "We cannot sustain a mass exodus of manpower. Our pension fund cannot handle that exodus either longterm." It concluded that voters had seven days to "save the city."
Vallas, whose campaign concentrated on the safety of citizens and support for the police, said he would hire hundreds more police officers if elected mayor. In a recent debate, he said he expected that officers who have retired would return to the department under new leadership, describing it as "an infusion of experienced officers."
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