With a rise in homicides, a highly publicized fatal shooting near a public festival, low police morale and a City Council angry about poor communication, Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis has discovered just how short a honeymoon can be, says the Chicag Tribune. The early report card after only five months ont he job comes as no surprise to Weis, who said he knew taking the post would bring close scrutiny and high expectations. Weis told the Tribune: “I came here with the expectation of it being a challenging job. [] I realize there’s going to be good times and bad, but I’m committed to this job.”
The recent rise in homicides–13 percent in the first six months of 2008–has galvanized many across the city. Many analysts say it is too early to criticize Weis, at least for recent increases in violence. As an outsider from the FBI, Weis faced an uphill battle in the tradition-bound department after besting insiders for the superintendent’s post. A 13 percent increase over six months doesn’t mean homicides will remain up over the rest of the year. Rare incidents of multiple homicides, such as the triple and quintuple murders Chicago had earlier this year, can skew the numbers, said criminologist James Alan Fox of Northeastern University.
Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-weis-violence_final_13jul13,0,6087183.story