A Chicago 911 dispatcher ripped into the city’s leadership, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot, for causing staffing shortages that have hampered authorities’ efforts to respond to rising crime.
“What’s horrible is the lack of leadership and the failure of leadership throughout this entire city of Chicago, and it’s ridiculous because it does not have to be this way,” dispatcher Keith Thornton told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday.
Thornton’s comments follow a weekend of violence for Chicago in which 23 people were wounded and three people were killed, Fox 32 reported.
Thornton argued that staffing shortages for first responders were preventing fire and police officials from adequately reacting to and mitigating the violence, and held Lightfoot partially responsible.
“The blood, in my opinion, is on her hands,” Thornton said.
As of Dec. 26, 794 people have been murdered within Chicago in 2021, according to police data.
“This is not a black problem, a white problem, a Democratic problem, a Republican problem, a Latino problem, this is an all-hands-on-deck problem and everyone within Chicago should be fueled up—and that’s why I’m taking a stand,” said Thornton.
Thornton had also reportedly posted a video to his Facebook account on Christmas Eve excoriating Lightfoot for her response to the city’s rising violence.
“I’m hot about it because this mayor does not care about Chicago police officers, period. She doesn’t care about any first responders,” Thornton said, according to ABC 7.
Lightfoot called on federal agencies to send agents to Chicago last Tuesday in order to help deal with the spiking homicide rate.
“I pray you’re watching this because you’re a disgrace and I’m tired of it,” Thornton added, addressing Lightfoot. “And your city is tired of it. Matter of fact, it’s not your city. The city of Chicago is tired of it.”
Lightfoot’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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