Blagojevich: Chicago May Need National Guard Help
Mayor Unaware Of Plan; Welcomes Partnership

POSTED: 1:11 pm CDT July 16, 2008
UPDATED: 7:41 pm CDT July 16, 2008

CHICAGO -- As Governor Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday signed a new law that
will put in place tougher penalties for selling guns to minors, he also
announced he's got a new idea to help combat the violence that Chicago is
experience: he's talking to the Illinois State Police and the National Guard
to see if they could help.

"Violent crime in the city of Chicago is out of control," Blagojevich said
at the bill signing ceremony. "I'm offering resources of the state to the
city to work in a constructive way with Mayor Daley to do everything we can
possibly do to help stop this violence," said the governor.

The summer of 2008 will be remembered as especially violent. Blagojevich
said there's been a child shot nearly every day since June 26. Bringing in
state troopers -- even National Guard helicopters to high-crime areas -- is
still very much in the planning stages.

"It might be able to free up some resources that the Chicago police uses for
capital needs, to be able, to maybe to, hire more police officers, or
possibly ask some to come out of retirement, to put them into these violent
zones, hot zones, where, clearly, I think, part of the challenge is that
gangbangers outnumber police officers five to one," Blagojevich said.

The governor said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley hasn't asked for help, but
Blagojevich said he'll call the mayor once he has some concrete suggestions
about what help he can provide. He didn't have many specifics, but he said
it's more likely that state police will be brought in than the National
Guard.

In fact, Daley's office said the mayor did not know anything about
Blagojevich's comments and did not know he was going to make them.

"The mayor welcomes partnerships, not just on this issue but on a variety of
issues," said spokeswoman Jody Kawada. "Beyond that, it is difficult to
comment because we don't have any facts."

And police department spokeswoman Monique Bond said they learned of the
comments after Blagojevich made them as well, and said it was too soon to
comment.

But Bond took issue with the governor's contention that crime is "out of
control" in Chicago, pointing out that if the current murder rate holds in
the city, 2008 may end with fewer than 500 homicides and that it is expected
to be one of the least deadly years in the city in the last 40 years.

On Wednesday, Superintendent Jody Weis was grilled by members of a city
council committee, who complained both about rising crime and statistics
that suggested to them that the police department wasn't doing enough to
stop it.

They also come as the governor tries to find support for a massive statewide
construction program that would be funded by expanded casino gambling. So
far, Daley has refused to go along because he objects to the amount
Blagojevich wants to charge Chicago to run a downtown casino.

Blagojevich raised that issue as he discussed the possibility of state aid
with Chicago's crime problem.

"We need help in that legislative process and the mayor could be a big help
in this in getting the House Democratic leadership to pass that big capital
program or versions of it," the governor said.

Blagojevich's offer, whether or not it comes to anything, also puts him in
the position of trying to help on an issue dominating the news in Chicago.

Blagojevich said it is far more likely that state troopers would be used
than guardsmen. In fact, his office moved quickly after the governor's
comments to stress in a news release that Blagojevich was not considering
bringing in National Guard troops to the city.

"The only way the National Guard would be involved, if they are involved, is
with the use of tactical helicopters that are currently used in narcotics
operations," spokesman Lucio Guerrero said in a prepared statement.

Blagojevich had few details, but suggested that one possibility would be to
assign state troopers to areas of the city with lower crime rates, freeing
Chicago police officers for areas where there is more crime.

"Maybe we can play a role in providing more manpower so that the mayor
doesn't have to make that choice between taking a police from, let's say the
North Side, and putting that police officer on the street on the South
Side," he said.

He also suggested that retired Chicago police officers and state troopers
could be hired on a temporary basis to help out during the summer months
when the violent crime rate typically climbs.

Blagojevich Signs Tougher Gun Bill

The bill signed Wednesday puts the adult who provides a gun to a minor in
the same legal hot water as the minor who uses it to commit a crime.

The bill signed Wednesday means that adults who sell or give guns to minors
are eligible for the same sentence as minors convicted of violent crimes --  
including murder -- in which they used the weapon.

Before the law was signed, the maximum sentence an adult could get for
providing a gun to a minor -- whether it's used in a crime or not -- was
seven years.

Senator Kwame Raoul sponsored the bill after a spate of shooting deaths of
Chicago school children.

Supporters of the bill said they hope the possibility of a stiffer sentence
will make adults think twice about handing over guns to minors.