Chicago Tribune on Harvey

Abandoned home in  Harvey

Chicago's best-read newspaper has an editorial on Harvey, Illinois.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Tribune investigations for more than two years have raised alarming issues about Harvey, including a fraudulent hotel deal, lack of transparency over the city's finances and questions of police misconduct. Harvey owes millions of dollars to the city of Chicago in overdue water bills. It owes millions to its pension fund for retired workers. It ignored for years state-required annual audits.

Three members of the Harvey City Council signed a letter in July pleading with an array of public officials, from President Barack Obama to FBI Director James Comey, to rescue their town.

Last month, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart asked the U.S. Department of Justice to follow up on systemic problems with the Police Department that didn't get corrected in 2012, the last time Justice was in Harvey to investigate allegations of police brutality. The city's record-keeping was so poor that Justice couldn't do much to substantiate claims.

"The Harvey Police Department has repeatedly refused assistance, despite being plagued for years by widespread and well-documented problems regarding excessive force and sexual assault investigations," Dart's letter says.

Related post:

(Photos) Abandoned homes in the corrupt city of Harvey, Illinois