Prairie State Wire

Chicago radio host Amy Jacobsen criticized New York City Mayor Eric Adams' request for city shoppers to lower their masks in stores as a way to help differentiate shoppers from criminals. 

"Drop the mask, or you can’t come in,” said Jacobson, co-host of Chicago's Morning Answer on AM 560. 

She compared it to the "no shoes, no service" warning issued by some stories. 

“We are putting out a clear call to our shops: do not allow people to enter the store without taking off their face mask,” Adams said in an interview with Susan Richard from 1010 WINS, NY. "And then once they're inside, they can continue to wear it if they so desire to do so. But we need to use the technology we have available to identify those shoplifters and those who are committing serious crimes. When you see these mask-wearing people, oftentimes it's not about being fearful of the pandemic, it's fearful of the police catching them for their deeds, and we're really putting the call out."

Adams' remarks were in response to host Richards' question about the mayor's "plan to deal with" "brazen, high-end stores getting robbed."

"New data released on Friday shows a decrease in almost all major crimes in the month of February compared with 2022, including a 15 percent drop in shootings, which is great news," said Richard. "But it seems the big issue now is shoplifting, including some very brazen, high-end stores getting robbed. What's the plan to deal with that?"

Here in Chicago, according to statistics released by the Chicago Police Department for the week ending March 12, 2023, burglarly has increased 10% during the previous twelve months. Theft had increased 25% and motor vehicle theft increased 125%.  

On March 9, 2023 Fox 32 Chicago reported on a robbery in which, "a security guard was shot and injured as he confronted a robbery suspect fleeing a bank in downtown Chicago on Thursday afternoon."

Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown announced his resignation on March 16 following Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's defeat in the February 28 mayoral primary election, failing to quality for the April 4 runoff. Lightfoot is the first Chicago mayor to lose reelection since Jane Byrne in 1983. Byrne was the city’s first female mayor. She also held office for only a single term from 1979 to 1983.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas made the runoff along with Cook County commissioner for the 1st District Brandon Johnson.