>>> IT'S ONE OF THE TOP ISSUES IN THE RACE FOR MAYOR, PUBLIC SAFETY.

CANDIDATES WENT HEAD-TO-HEAD ON THE TOPIC AT A FORUM LAST NIGHT.

WE HAVE LESS THAN THREE WEEKS UNTIL ELECTION DAY, WHAT EXACTLY SHOULD THE NEXT MAYOR DO TO ADDRESS THE CITY'S VIOLENCE?

UNDER THE NEXT MAYOR, A RETIRED POLICE SERGEANT WHO WAS A SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT, ROBERT VARGAS WHO ALSO SERVED AS THE CHICAGO JUSTICE PROJECT, AND FOUNDER OF MOTHERS AND MEN AGAINST SENSELESS KILLING .

SINCE 2015, VOLUNTEERS HANG OUT ON THE BLOCK TO NOT ONLY INTERRUPT VIOLENCE AND CRIME WOULD ALSO TEACH CHILDREN TO GROW UP AS FRIENDS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

PETER, LET'S START WITH YOU, THE MAYOR NEEDS NEW STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CHICAGO CRIME.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE WORKS TO REDUCE CRIME?

>> MY OPINION , SOMETHING HAS TO BE BAD FOR IT TO TURN GOOD.

SO, WE HAVE BEEN IN A BAD PLACE FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS UNDER TWO OUTSIDE SUPERINTENDENTS.

SO, WE NEED, IN MY OPINION, MORE POLICE, PATROL PEOPLE , PATROL OFFICERS IN THE STREETS , IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS , GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE PEOPLE THAT THEY POLICE AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY PROTECT.

AND I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE THE SAME OFFICERS ROTATING , SO THE PEOPLE BECOME CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL SEE JOE SMITH OR WHOMEVER , ALL THE TIME .

AND THAT THEY WILL FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE COMING TO ME AND TELLING ME, I THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM HERE AND I THINK MAYBE YOU SHOULD ADDRESS IT THIS WAY.

IN MY DAY, IT WAS MORE INTERACTION WITH THE COMMUNITY .

AND WE WERE MORE PROACTIVE WITH THEIR HELP .

>> MORE OFFICERS ON THE GROUND GETTING TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY.

YOU ARE ON THE CORNER WITH YOUR GROUP EVERYDAY DOING POSITIVE LOITERING, GATHERING WITH NEIGHBORS AND KIDS TO TAKE UP SPACE, INTERRUPT VIOLENCE AND CRIME.

BUT WHEN YOU CALLED 911, YOU NOTICED IT COULD TAKE MORE THAN AN HOUR FOR THEM TO SHOW UP, AND POLICE ARE HARASSING PEOPLE TOWARD THE POSITIVE LOITERING THAT YOU ARE DOING.

TELL US WHAT IS NOT WORKING?

>> MORE POLICE NEED TO HELP PEOPLE FEEL SAFE BECAUSE THEY DEFINITELY DON'T SUPPORT MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE WITH THE POLICE.

PEOPLE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY FEEL SAFE BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE PROTECTED FROM BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.

SO, WE DON'T NEED THAT.

WE MEET WITH A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE, WE NEED MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT , THAT IS WHAT WE NEED.

>> BOTH CANDIDATES HAVE PROMISED AT THE VERY LEAST MAINTAIN CURRENT FUNDING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOUR RESEARCH SHOWS THAT AFTER A SURGE IN CHICAGO HOMICIDES, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN POLICE OFFICERS AND FUNDING.

HOW HAS THAT WORKED OUT HISTORICALLY?

>> HISTORICALLY, OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS, THE POLICE AND INSTITUTION HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEFLECTED RESPONSIBILITY OF UPTICKS IN HOMICIDE AND USED THE CRISES TO CALL FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES , TO LOCK UP CRIMINALS.

AND WE SAW THIS MOST RECENTLY IN 2016 , AT A TIME WHEN THE CITY AND THE STATE WAS GRAPPLING WITH THE BUDGET CUTS FROM THE GOVERNOR.

AND AT A TIME WHEN THE CITY WAS UNDERGOING A LEGITIMACY CRISIS IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE KILLING OF McDONALD.

AND I THINK FOR OUR NEXT MAYOR, THERE NEEDS TO BE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO CREATE A NEW PATH, SO THEY CAN ADDRESS THESE BROADER ISSUES WITH POLICING SO THE POLICE ARE WORKING IN COMMUNITIES THAT AREN'T SUFFERING.

>> PAUL VALLAS'S PROPOSALS LEAN INTO WHAT HE CALLS PROACTIVE POLICING AND WHAT IS PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE POLICING?

>> IN PROACTIVE, WE BECOME AWARE OF WHERE THERE IS A PROBLEM AND WE GO OUT THERE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

YOU BROUGHT UP THAT IT TAKES 45 MINUTES OR 50 MINUTES , I LISTENED TO RADIO CALLS WHERE THE DISPATCHERS PUT OUT, WE HAVE A ROBBERY OF 55 MINUTES, WE HAVE A SHOOTING, 40 MINUTES, THEY ARE PUTTING THAT OUT THERE FOR SOMEBODY TO ANSWER THE CRIME OF THIS YOUNG LADY IS SAYING MORE POLICE ARE THE ANSWER, SHE IS DEFEATING HER PURPOSE BECAUSE IF THERE'S MORE POLICE, THERE'S MORE OFFICERS TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND EVERY COMMUNITY WANTS POLICE.

EVERY COMMUNITY WANTS TO FEEL SAFE.

EVERY PERSON WANTS TO FEEL SAFE.

>> AND YOU THINK WITH MORE COPS , THEY CAN ?

>> YES, THEY ARE PUTTING THEM ALL ON THE SOUTH SIDE, LEADING ANOTHER AREA EXPOSED.

>> I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION.

>> THE POLICE DON'T MAKE BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AT ALL, THEY MAKE US FEEL LIKE WE ARE UNDER SIEGE .

I HAVE NOT DIALED 911 IN THE LAST 9 YEARS, WHY?

BECAUSE WHEN THE POLICE COME OUT, IT TURNS INTO AN INFERNO.

THEY DON'T DO MUCH TO QUELL ANY VIOLENCE OR ANY SITUATION THAT IS HAPPENING, THEY ONLY EXACERBATE THEM.

AND WE DON'T NEED MORE POLICE.

WE DON'T.

WE NEED POLICE WHO DO THEIR JOB.

>> GO AHEAD.

>> YEAH , I THINK THERE IS ONE BARRIER TO THIS CONVERSATION, THAT THERE IS A TRANSPARENT ACCESS TO DATA THAT SHOWS EXACTLY WHERE POLICING RESOURCES ARE GOING.

SO WE CAN INCREASE THE BUDGET TO ADD MORE POLICE OFFICERS , BUT THERE'S NO WAY FOR INSTITUTIONS TO ACTUALLY GET INFORMATION OF WHERE THE OFFICERS ARE LOCATED.

THERE WAS A RECENT STUDY RELEASED BY THE CRIME LAB THAT SEEMS TO SUGGEST THAT THE POLICE WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY SCATTERED.

AND IT TOOK A REQUEST FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE TO GET THAT STUDY RELEASED , AND THIS PROBLEM OF NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THE DATA IS CREATING MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES, AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN ADDITIONAL AGENCIES TO TAKE ON PUBLIC SAFETY.

THERE'S GOOD REASONS WHY THIS INFORMATION IS NOT OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC BUT OBVIOUSLY IN SOME CASES YOU DON'T WANT TO SHOWCASE WHAT THE POLICE ARE DOING TO THE CRIMINALS.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE SO PEOPLE ARE FULLY AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON.

>> UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE OUT OF