No one said being an elected official would be easy, especially the mayor of a big city like Chicago. Sometimes the unfavorable headlines are unavoidable, outside the mayor’s control. And then sometimes, they are well within.
Monday’s Tribune story on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s security detail racking up moving violation tickets and then getting them dismissed is one of those avoidable, forehead-smacking examples. It’s not only a bad look for Lightfoot to be whirled around town with her security vehicles exceeding speed limits and breaking red-light laws, it’s an especially bad look for a mayor whose latest budget is balanced in part on the intent of catching more of us speeding. The city’s 2021 budget anticipates additional revenue from speeding tickets by lowering speed traps. Driving 6 to 9 mph over a posted limit can trigger a warning or a ticket, a lower threshold than the current 10 mph over the limit warranting a ticket.
The mayor has said the change is for safety. So what about the safety record of her drivers?
According to the Tribune review of tickets, the mayor’s police detail since 2019 when she took over has received 13 tickets for violations, with 10 being dismissed by the city. Some of the tickets, which are issued automatically from the city’s camera system, were “given at times when her calendar suggests she was on the way home from a personal event” and not conducting official city business.
The city issued a statement in response, saying the mayor’s police security detail is responsible for her safety, and her family’s, at all times.
“When traveling, this security detail is a two-car team — a lead car and a tail car — that is trained to stay together at all times for the safety and protection of the mayor. Any and all red-light violations or speeding tickets dismissed by the City were done so when the tail car following the lead car became separated or in conjunction with City’s policies and practices when it comes to law enforcement vehicles.”
Wrong answer. This is easy to resolve.
Option 1: The mayor insists, going forward, her security detail tag team will stay together and avoid running red lights and speeding.
Option 2: When tickets happen, the mayor pays the fines herself, or the person pressing the gas pedal, as she demands of us.
Excusing the behavior and standing by the practice that the city should absorb her ticket costs while we pay ours is wrong. Like we said, it’s one of those forehead-smacking moments that could and should have been avoided. The speed and red-light cameras already are highly controversial for being a regressive “tax.” She, of all people, should be first in line to pay it.
Editorials reflect the opinion of the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board.
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