CHICAGO — Under pressure to address skyrocketing street crime last summer, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a $1 million reward program for people who report illegal guns.
“I want you to know that I recognize that people are scared. People all over the city. This is the topic of conversation,” Lightfoot said as she announced the fund’s creation in July 2021. “Gun violence is holding us back from realizing our individual potential and our potential and greatness as a city.”
In the year since Lightfoot announced the initiative, however, the city has only paid out $10,395 to tipsters, according to the police department. The program has generated criticism that it was poorly thought out and executed. It also illustrates how Lightfoot has at times addressed violent crime and deflected criticism with headline-generating ideas that falter.
