Taking traffic enforcement seriously

Somehow, I missed this the first time around, but Hilkevitch had a column in August about a tiff between Daley and the council over devoting city resources to enforcing traffic laws. Sounds like those of us who worry about criminals on wheels might have some allies on Council.

bq. The City Council subsequently passed an ordinance that [Ald. Thomas] Allen (38th) proposed to hire 100 more police officers to handle traffic duties citywide, using fines collected from drivers running red traffic lights, who were caught by cameras. Only 32 police officers are on the traffic detail currently, and mostly downtown, Allen said…. Daley is balking, however. Daley accuses aldermen — including former Chicago police officer William Beavers (7th), who has said traffic enforcement is as important to public safety as fighting crime — of overstepping their authority about how the administration budgets city resources. Daley said he thinks more police officers are needed to catch drug dealers and other criminals in the neighborhoods instead of blowing whistles on street corners.