More recently, police have had difficulty controlling large gatherings of teenagers this year that have broken out in violence and even resulted in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Seandell Holliday next to The Bean in May. The department notoriously appeared uncoordinated at large protests and then overnight riots downtown in the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Still, despite the optimism of Brown and other police leaders for the event, the Police Department has come under criticism from experts and the city’s inspector general in its handling of large crowds in recent years.
“We will have additional resources along the route and afterward for any festivities that happen,” Jessani said. “We have no threats to Chicago’s Pride Parade, but we are, obviously, planning for the worst, hoping for the best,” Brown said.Īmin Jessani, commander of the 19th District, said at an earlier news conference that CPD has had meetings with local partners, business owners and the alderman over the past few months to ensure they’re all on the same page regarding safety. When asked to respond to Tunney’s letter at an unrelated news conference Wednesday, Brown said the department has added more staffing for this year’s parade and has had more coordination with businesses and stakeholders in the planning process than in previous years.
