By rssfeeds-admin 
On Thursday morning, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago Police Department Supt. Larry Snelling, and others in Johnson’s administration met virtually with City Council members to discuss preparations in place. The same group also held a virtual briefing for members of the press to ask questions about their response to what the White House has indicated it is looking to do.
City leaders claim they are in the dark about how things could play out if the president decides to pull the trigger on deploying federal troops and say there has been no communication from the White House.
When asked about how Chicago police officers would interact with National Guard troops, Snelling said communication with the feds would be key.
“We hear reports in the news, but until we have some fact-based information, it’s next to impossible to answer that question and give you a good answer for it, however, we are preparing for whatever happens,” Snelling said.
Snelling said they are taking from experience preparing for the 2024 Democratic National Convention – something city leaders had more than a year to get ready for.
Despite large crowds and protests, the city saw little violence, had no reports of major injuries to officers or protesters, and reported 74 arrests total over the course of the convention.
Snelling said they would want to work with any protest organizers to have a plan and some ground rules in place to help protect residents and their First Amendment rights, should people decide to protest. He also emphasized there are no protections in place for criminal activity.
“At the same time, we know that First Amendment, there are no protections for criminal activity,” Snelling said. “When it comes to Federal agents, when it comes to the National Guard, these people work for the federal government. When we think about protocol for them, their rules of engagement are different from that of local law enforcement, so what we would just try to do is communicate with everyone to keep it peaceful. Try not to obstruct or become physical with federal agents or members of the National Guard.”
It remains unclear what guardsmen would be tasked to do if they were deployed to the city, however, the president hammered down again on his message that Chicagoans need his help in a Truth Social post Thursday.
“Governor Pritzker had 6 murders in Chicago this weekend. 20 people were shot but doesn’t want to ask me for help. Can this be possible? The people are desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren’t capable of doing. STAY TUNED!!! President DJT”
Many city and state leaders argue that troops in the city would inflame tensions and disrupt community-police relationships that the department is working to build.
Chicago police have strong partnerships with federal agencies to combat violent crime in Chicago, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), however, National Guard members do not have arresting authority or policing powers.
If federal troops come to Chicago, Snelling said his officers will be in uniform to be clearly identified. He emphasized the department would not be working with federal authorities on immigration enforcement, but that they would also not interfere with federal immigration efforts.
Ald. Nick Sposato (38th Ward) said he is skeptical anything would ever come of the president’s comments to send the troops to the city. Sposato, a Trump supporter, said he does not support bringing troops to the city.
“The idea about the National Guard was to get crime under control. My opinion is, we don’t want them, they can’t do nothing,” Sposato said. “Whatever it’s going to cost them to send the National Guard here, just give us the money strictly for hiring more police. That’s all it can be used for and that’s all that I’m for.”
For many alders, the idea of deploying troops to Chicago is a tough sell, even those who call out issues with crime in the city. Sposato said the idea of allocating federal dollars to the department in its efforts to combat crime in Chicago could be a win-win for everyone involved.
“The president would look like a rockstar, and the mayor would look like a rockstar with this, but instead, they keep fighting with each other, the mayor, the governor, and the president. I wish the fighting would stop and they would act like adults,” Sposato said.
The city’s Chief Homelessness Officer, Sendy Soto, also touched on concerns over federal agents clearing out homeless encampments, something that reportedly is happening in Washington, D.C. Soto said the city is working with the county and state, along with a local organization to help support people with housing and shelter resources.
“The city believes firmly that being unhoused is not a crime, so we will not be assisting with any sort of arrest or enforcement towards the unhoused community for being unhoused,” Soto said. “In terms of arrests, or clearing encampments along with federal agents, we will not be doing that.”
During a tour of the city with the Associated Press on Thursday, Gov. Pritzker doubled down on his message to the president that the city doesn’t need or want military intervention to fight crime, adding that he felt the Guard would only escalate problems.
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