A rare moment of Democratic unity

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece has been critical of David Pepper's leadership of the Law & Public Safety Committee, saddling her mayoral rival and fellow Democrat with everything from the gang violence to firehouse "brownouts."

But when Republican Charlie Winburn blamed Pepper's leadership for the increase in crime, the Reece campaign was the first to come to Pepper's defense.

"If you look at the background, the two candidates who have done the most for safety are Pepper and Reece," said Steve Reece, the Reece campaign manager and father of the candidate. "I mean, come on, be fair. I think this council gets a bad rap about not supporting the police.

"We are paying the cops a lot more money now than when Winburn was on," Steve Reece said Tuesday. "This council has made a tremendous commitment to safety. All you have to do is look at the budget. I don’t think you can question Alicia or Pepper on that."