(CHICAGO) Activists with Black Lives Matter Chicago say the city’s plan to add nearly 1,000 new positions at the police department isn’t the way to stop the violence.
The group said in a statement Wednesday that the crime and violence exist “because of the conditions of poverty that (Mayor) Rahm Emanuel has exacerbated.” The group cited mass school closings in 2013 and increasing taxes.
Black Lives Matter Chicago also said additional resources should instead be used to address employment, affordable housing and access to health care.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says the new positions will strengthen leadership on the force and help earn trust in the community.
City officials have not detailed the cost or how the new jobs will be paid for.
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