CHICAGO — On his first day as Chicago’s mayor-elect, Brandon Johnson echoed his winning promise to rethink the city’s approach to public safety, while his lame-duck predecessor Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned him to show humility to first responders upon the heels of another firefighter death in the city.
Fresh off his narrow victory over Paul Vallas Tuesday night, Johnson began his day at the Cermak-Chinatown CTA station with the customary greeting of commuters and also went on MSNBC, where he was largely asked questions about crime. Noting his West Side roots as an Austin resident, Johnson said he “might be the first mayor ever elected in the city of Chicago that will wake up every single morning in the most violent neighborhood in the city of Chicago.” Then he dug into his overarching philosophy on restoring public safety.
Johnson stressed that the most effective solutions are less about more law enforcement and more about investments that include economic development, affordable housing and mental health services.
