Betsy Brantner Smith, a National Police Association spokesperson and retired Chicago-area sergeant, told Newsmax that Chicago should accept federal assistance offered by President Donald Trump to address violent crime.
Speaking on "Wake Up America Weekend," Brantner Smith said expanded federal support could help curb the city's violence and questioned why local leaders would reject such offers for political reasons. "I served in the suburbs, not with the Chicago PD," she said. "What do you have to lose, Chicago?"
Trump Renewed Call After Violent Weekend
On Sept. 1, Trump renewed his plea for federal intervention in a Truth Social post after a weekend in which 41 people were shot and three were killed in Chicago. "Chicago violence is unchecked and at record levels," he wrote, adding, "It has never been worse!" He warned the city could suffer further decline unless Mayor Brandon Johnson or Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker formally requests federal help: "I am awaiting the call."
Arguments For Expanded Federal Cooperation
Brantner Smith noted that Chicago law enforcement already collaborates with federal agencies and pointed to past federal partnerships in other cities as examples of successful cooperation. "We've had successes in New Orleans, Memphis and Washington, D.C. Why not invite in federal partnerships?" she asked, adding that political opposition to the president appears to be a barrier. "Brandon Johnson and J.B. Pritzker have this obsession with President Trump, so they don't want to have anything to do with his people or his policies, to the detriment of the people of Chicago."
Crime Data Presents Mixed Picture
Chicago's crime statistics offer a mixed view. According to Chicago Police Department data cited by WTTW-TV, the city recorded 289 homicides through the end of August — two more than the same period last year — while robberies declined 23% and burglaries fell 11%.
An analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice found that 10 of 13 offenses it tracked declined during the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier, though it also reported a 3% rise in homicides and a 132% jump in nonresidential burglaries.
Local Response
Both Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, who are Democrats, dismissed Trump's criticism. Mayor Johnson also accused the Biden administration of cutting federal funding for violence-prevention programs, a point he says undermines local prevention efforts.
Brantner Smith: "Yes, homicides are down. Other crimes are down. There's a lot of quality-of-life crimes that aren't going down. And are we going to tolerate 500-plus homicides a year as business as usual? It's insane."
The debate highlights a broader question about the roles of local and federal authorities in addressing complex urban crime problems: whether additional federal resources and coordination would meaningfully lower violence, or whether political friction will continue to impede cooperation.
