CHICAGO — A group of Chicago civil rights attorneys signed a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday asking her to withdraw an ordinance introduced in September that aims to allow the fining of gang members and gives police the authority to seize their property.
The proposal, called the “Victims’ Justice Ordinance,” was introduced as Lightfoot is under pressure to crack down on Chicago’s gun violence and high homicide rate. The mayor has repeatedly acknowledged that many Chicagoans don’t feel safe, a dynamic that threatens public safety, residents’ mental health and the city’s economy.
The ordinance was expected to prompt legal challenges from civil rights attorneys and social justice organizations, who believe the measure could wrongly accuse Black and Latino residents of being involved in gang activity.
