Former Chicago Police Department chief Jody Weis on Tuesday sharply criticized Illinois Democrats for opposing President Donald Trump’s stated willingness to send federal law-enforcement resources to Chicago, saying they are “afraid” a crackdown would succeed and make them look ineffective.
Weis’s remarks came after Trump said he would “go in” to Chicago to combat rising violence, following a highly publicized federal surge in Washington, D.C., where the administration deployed National Guard troops and asserted greater oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly warned the president against intervening in the city’s policing.
In an interview with the National News Desk reported by the New York Post, Weis said the refusal of federal help signals satisfaction with current crime figures, calling that stance “absolutely unacceptable in Chicago right now.” He criticized what he described as a high level of intracommunity violence and singled out Pritzker for a symbolic display he said does not reflect the experience of residents in high-crime neighborhoods.
“Let him walk in the Austin neighborhood or the Inglewood neighborhoods at 11 o’clock, because that’s where many of his constituents live — and they’re not going to feel safe,” Weis said, according to the report. He also invoked the example of Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who, after initially expressing concern about the federal surge there, acknowledged it had helped reduce certain violent crimes.
Trump’s move to send forces to Washington was followed by an update from Bowser noting an 87% drop in carjackings after the federal presence increased, comments that have been seized on by proponents of federal intervention in other cities. Weis said Illinois Democrats are resisting similar measures out of political calculation.
Weis told reporters he believes Pritzker and Johnson are worried voters would notice the difference if a concerted campaign against violent crime achieved measurable results. “I think they are afraid that people will see what can be done if politicians commit to taking action and really want to make a difference,” he said.
A Fox News Digital inquiry seeking comment from Pritzker and Johnson was not immediately returned, according to media reports. The New York Post reported the story and quoted Weis’s remarks.
Chicago has for years been a focal point in national discussions about crime, policing and the appropriate role of federal assistance. Local leaders have repeatedly framed criminal-justice strategies around community-based approaches and local control, while some federal officials and national political figures have argued that a temporary surge in federal forces can quickly reduce specific categories of violent crime.
The debate over federal intervention in city policing is likely to continue as national political leaders weigh responses to violent crime and as local officials balance concerns about local autonomy, public safety and political optics. Weis’s comments add to a chorus of voices urging more direct action, while Pritzker and Johnson maintain that Chicago should retain control over its policing strategies.