Chicago’s 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer wants to bring crime-fighting drones to save Chicago’s “Magnificient Miles” after seeing shootings and muggings soar. The “Magnificient Mile” is a business district along 75th Street going through the Chatham and Park Manor communities. It is also referred to by locals as “Black-nificient Mile” and “Mug-nificient Mile.”
Sawyer held a public meeting at his office Monday night that fifty people attended. His proposal is a new tax on local businesses to pay for drones that form a permanent aerial spy network. These drones would theoretically disrupt crimes in progress and track suspects until police arrive.
Sawyer told the crowd that drones could spot crimes in progress and broadcast warnings such as “We see you…. we’re recording you right now… we see everything that you’re doing. You’re picking your nose right now. We see you!”
The drones would be provided by a yet to be determined private contractor.
Ironically, Alderman Sawyer was at the forefront of anti-police rhetoric just one year ago. He promoted a “Police Free Schools Ordinance” that would have expelled Chicago police from Chicago public schools. Sawyer pandered to BLM by publicly mocking the idea that Chicago’s violent schools needed a permanent police presence. Sawyer has also been demanding that the city pay “reparations” to Black residents.
