On Tuesday, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe used his mayors comments to address the recent spike in crime as there have been 7-shootings in the past two weeks–including a firefighter and EMS Employee who were hit by gunfire.
Thorpe stated the council would support the police department in reducing the violence, but was quick to scold those who would take this recent spike in crime and use it as a political touchdown and even attacking the defund the police rhetoric.
Here is the transcript from his Mayors Comments during Tuesday nights council meeting:
“Everybody here is aware of the most recent shooting here in the city and these incidents continue to be unfortunate. We recognize and see that we have had a spike in shootings in recent weeks and I want to let the community know that our police department, our police chief and this council is committed to ensuring our community is safe and we will work towards finding solutions, particularly gun violence solutions.
I’ve now had several conversations with our police chief as it relates to this very topic and I will continue to have conversations with our chief of police and offering whatever it is, assistance this council can do and make. If we need to look at overtime or look at extra funding for crime tips or whatever it may be, we are committed to doing that.
But of course, just like police reform, I want to remind folks, in this recent spike in gun violence there are going to be individuals, I know there are going to be communities that have a general concerns about what is happening, we all share those concerns, but there will be people who will try to politicize these issues just as they have tried to politicize police reform.
I want to make sure our council and our police officers recognize we are above the political rhetoric. We are here to do a job. We are not hear to throw weaponized instances of violence or reform and try and use them to prove a political point or score political touchdowns. That is not what we are here to do.
That is certainly not what I am here to engage in. And some of the misconceptions you will hear out there being promoted by some of the local bloggers are that we are trying to reform, that we are trying to defund the police department. The city council has had no policy around defunding the police department.
They will try to use these statements to say that we are trying to abolish the police department. We have had no policy that suggests that. So, I want the community to be aware we are on top of the things we are seeing and hearing and we are supporting our police department to ensure that our streets are safe but we are not going to play into some of the political rhetoric that people use as weapons to attack other people. That is not right and we are not participating.”
Last week, the Antioch City Council agreed to move forward and explore several Police Reform Items that were brought forward by Thorpe. They were approved during a special meeting which lasted approximently 7-hours (Meeting Recap). On Tuesday, later in the meeting, the Council was set to discuss purchasing body cameras.
Recent Shootings:
- Updated: Two Shot During Drive-By Shooting in Antioch
- Updated: Antioch Police Investigating Saturday Shooting
- UPDATED: Two In Custody After Vehicle Crash, Firearms Recovered in Antioch
- Updated: 18-Year-Old Shows Up at Local Antioch Hospital With Gunshot Wound
- Formal Charges Filed Against Suspect in Discovery Bay Homicide and Antioch Multiple Shooting Suspect
- Antioch: Woman Struck Twice by Gunfire on W 20th Street
- UPDATED: Two Arrested After Armed Robbery and Shooting at Antioch Target
- Discovery Bay: Sheriff’s Office Arrests Homicide Suspect in Multiple Shooting Incident
13 comments
Unless this idiot is resigning, nobody cares what he has to say.
Corrupt, racist, incompetent POS .
It’s pretty funny Mayor Thorpe used an in custody death to push his agenda. But now people want to use shootings to oust him and Walker Torres and it’s not okay. Classy move Mayor Thorpe. Your support of APD is fake so please just drop the act
Everything Lamar Thorpe does and says is political and we have years of this to back it up. This speech is hypocritical and might as well be labeled as comedy. I actually think ECT and the Herald are under the Mayors skin. Typical politician, deflect on everyone else. Hate to say it Lamar, the people voted you as mayor and are realizing you absolutely suck.
I don’t think anyone commenting here has any idea of how to prevent the violence that has run amok in Antioch these past few weeks. It’s as if people think there would be no crime if it weren’t for Mayor Thorpe or some members of the City Council. There is no constructive plan coming from anyone, merely criticism and demonization of Thorpe, et al. APD cannot prevent violence. It can only react. So how about we come together as a community, a community of ALL citizens of Antioch, to discuss solutions. Real solutions. And stop pointing fingers at certain people. Let’s find solutions
Bill moon and other will never give the mayor a chance to make Antioch a better place, this is why our community is so divided. When you look ? into what bill moon is saying what is it you are really seeing?
The best way to stop this problem is to get rid of the low income and section 8 that’s destroyed this city in the first place.
Thorpe is a hypocrite. A racist, and fails to see where the problem is because he’s too busy defending Black people and criminals.
Mr. Thorpe and all other City Council. If you care so much about the city and support the police department why don’t you do your part and start by riding along with police officers and experience first hand what they have to deal with every day in the city that YOU run and are responsible for then you can make good, sound and educated decision rather than making YOUR policy that only benefits YOU. Its easy to say and do things behind a desk. Get out and engage these thugs. Get out there and engage the community. Get out there and encourage the community to support crime reduction, crime reporting and most importantly the police department that you and a few other council members clearly do not care about and clearly do not support. You know who you are council members…If you are true, honest and transparent then SHOW IT!
Y’all want the real solution? Y’all too soft and won’t like it. I’m all for the Antioch PD to flood the gang and crime ridden areas and stop them all and nickel and dime them for every possible violation in the book. Remind them who the streets belong to and crime won’t be tolerated. But again, this would be considered racist cause the criminals and the Antioch city council hate it when police stop them and arrest them (ask Tamisha walker and her criminal kids). Knowing that by doing so could be saving their lives by sending them to jail. But that won’t happen. Y’all act like these progressive reforms are the solution. Y’all buckle up. You may be the next victim to get robbed and shot in the Antioch utopia. Just do us all a favor, stay the hell away from Brentwood and Oakley. We don’t want your bullshit here.
If the police don’t make it uncomfortable with consequences for the criminals to remain in Antioch, then it will only get worse. Let the officers do the job they were hired for, and protect the law abiding citizens.
Thorpe and his two underlings don’t give a crap about Antioch! Now, Thorpe comes up with this: “I’m here to tell everyone change has come to Antioch…. it came on November 3rd.” Oh yeah, it sure did. This “change” has put Antioch in the worst possible light and it will get even worse! RECALL THIS WET-BRAIN! Recall him NOW!
Nobody is trying to ‘score a political touchdown’. We just need more police out there.
Thorpe seems like a good man, but unless he will find a way to appropriate more funding toward law enforcement that we desperately need, I cannot support him. Enough is enough.
We’ve done it now Antioch, between the Major, City Clerk (and now School Board President! ugh) and the new council members we’ve got a hot mess representing our city. Voting matters, and we’ve got to get these people OUT! RECALL!
Mayor Thorpe , People get the impression you DO NOT SUPPORT APD or Listen to EVERYONE In this community
Because of the way you have handled Ms. Walker’s aDonnassault on the APD. You talk about bloggers using unfortunate events in Antioch for political gain. Ha The day that poor family came out with video. Ms. Walker and Yourself chose that day to address her Horrible live feed and criminal record. On social media all dialog on the subject was quickly surpressed.
If she isn’t going to have the integrity to do the right thing and step down. You as Mayor must make her. Can’t you see she has corrupted her ability to vote on Any Antioch Issues. I know I dont trust her judgement neither of you have done little to address this issue. BECAUSE IT IS A ISSUE. No matter how much you dont want it to be. SHE MADE IT A ISSUE THE DAY SHE PUSHED THAT BUTTON AND WENT LIVE.
Comments are closed.