10TH WARD ALDERMANIC CANDIDATE, RICHARD L. MARTINEZ, JR., CALLS ON CITY TO MAKE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO SEE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT MANPOWER AT FULL STRENGTH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) November 19, 2010 -- With the Harry B. Deas 4th District Police Station in the backdrop, 10th Ward Alderamanic Candidate, Richard L. Martinez, Jr. conducted a press conference in the rain with 10th Ward families, calling for full funding and bringing the the Chicago Police Department to "full strength".

As the City of Chicago has concluded its annual budget hearings, 10th Ward Aldermanic Candidate, Richard L. Martinez, Jr., is calling on the city to make a strong financial commitment in spite of its current budget situation to hire the additional police officers necessary to bring current manpower to full strength. 10th Ward residents are living in fear and this is represented through the number of “For Sale” signs throughout the 10th Ward.

"Police officers being pulled from CAPS meetings and /Senior Officers are being reassigned. As a former CAPS Beat Facilitator in the 4th District who is going to attend a CAPS meeting with no Police Officers? What’s the purpose in attending? Who are you going to give information to?" Martinez stated.

The current Alderman serves on Police/fire committee and budget committee and has failed to assist the police department and serve the residents/taxpayers of the 10th Ward. This is not a new problem, this has been an ongoing problem the voters and residents need to ask what has he done to assist the police dept and our communities? Where has he been on the funding and budgetary issues of the Chicago Police Department over the last 11.5 years? Has he worked closely with the community and the Fraternal Order of Police on these issues?

In addition, why is it that 10th Ward is not a recipient of the State of Illinois’ $50 million Neighborhood Recovery Initiative which aims at youth safety and stimulating small businesses located in neighborhoods with high crime rates. The current Alderman has once again failed to advocate for and represent the residents, taxpayers, voters and families of the 10th ward. The current Alderman should have advocated on behalf of the South Chicago community to receive a portion of these funds. For example, Beat 423 is one of the "hottest" beats in the 10th Ward, with over 4,000 calls for service a month.

Candidate Martinez also commented on the stewardship of how taxpayer dollars are being utilized. Indstead of spending $35K on unmanned, "dummy" cameras we would be wiser to utilize those resources toward the hiring of additional police to put more “boots on the ground” in the 10th Ward.

Rich Martinez and the New 10th Ward Campaign supports the Fraternal Order of Police in its call to bring the Police Department to “full manpower” . A few weeek's ago the Administration indicated that the hiring of 200 new police officers in 20ll was the “best we can do”. "Right now the City’s best is not good enough. We have to explore utilizing all potential revenue resources including federal dollars to bridge the gap. We owe it to the taxpayers, residents and families, children and future of the 10th Ward to do more and to do a better job and that's my promise and commitment to the 10th Ward" Martinez said.

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