Ghiz: Thank goodness I wasn't at press conference

From city councilwoman Leslie Ghiz:

GHIZ DEMANDS SOLUTIONS, NOT MORE PRESS CONFERENCES

Bottom Line: ‘People Don’t Feel Safe’

Councilmember Leslie Ghiz, in response to yesterday’s press conference, spoke out today about the need for concrete solutions to the upscale in neighborhood crime. Ghiz, who has been the most vocal Councilmember about the need to focus attention on crime issues, said she felt embarrassed when she found out the purpose of the Mayor’s last-minute press conference.

“Our job as City leaders is to attack crime head-on,” Ghiz said. “We should never be holding press conferences trying convince people that there is no crime problem.”

Ghiz noted that for the past several weeks she has been touring the City talking to residents and neighborhood leaders about crime issues. “I am hearing time and again that the crime rate is out of control,” she said. “People tell me about cars being broken in to, businesses being robbed and even criminals trying to enter their homes ― and then they tell me this is all new to their neighborhood. This is old hat to many of the city’s neighborhoods.”

Ghiz further said that, while her absence at the press conference was due to conflict at work, she is relieved that she did not attend. “Some Members of Council attended yesterday’s press conference out of respect to the Mayor,” she said, “but none of them had any idea of what would be said. I’m certain many would not have attended had they known.”

Ghiz said that she is working and will continue to work on finding solutions to neighborhood crime. In her first term, she has consistently voted to give the police department the resources they need to combat crime. She said she plans on reintroducing her and Councilmember Berding’s ordinance to build a $6 million temporary jail to help overcrowding and to get repeat criminals off the street.