Mark Woulf, candidate for District 8 alderman, held a press conference Sunday afternoon to address issues with community police and voiced criticism toward the task force's priority of campus safety.
Woulf, who is also friends with a victim of an early Friday morning attempted robbery, used the incident to support his platform.
According to a police report, the 20-year-old female victim was walking home alone on the 500 block of North Henry Street when a man approached her and asked her what she had in her pockets.
Woulf, who spoke with the victim, said after the man approached her, he threw her to the ground and began pulling the victim down the street by her hair. The victim said she was screaming at the top of her lungs, but there was no law enforcement in the area to help her. Another man assisted the victim and called the police.
Woulf said police were busy Thursday night performing bar raids at Church Key, Johnny O's and Blue Velvet, where the six officers gave out approximately 25 underage drinking tickets that accumulated to approximately $11,000 in fines.
So you look at the situation where we have to ask ourselves, 'what did law enforcement accomplish on Thursday night?'"" Woulf asked. ""Busting underage drinkers in bars and house parties or is it safety?""
According to Woulf, police sent those involved in the bar raid out on the streets alone.
""If it's called a community police task force it should be keeping the community safe,"" said Woulf. ""It's less safe when there are no law enforcements on the street '¦ most importantly, [police] need to be out on the streets making sure people get home safe at nights.""
The victim of Thursday's incident sustained scratches to her legs but did not require immediate medical attention.
