Ex-Riverside Chief Calls Out Political, Media Attacks

RIVERSIDE, IL – Tom Weitzel, retired Chief of Police of Riverside, Illinois, and a 37-year law enforcement veteran, is calling on police professionals across Illinois and the nation to stand united against what he describes as “an orchestrated assault on law enforcement” by the Chicago Sun-Times and Mayor Brandon Johnson.

"In my decades of service, I have never witnessed such a reckless campaign targeting federal law enforcement officers," said Weitzel. "The Chicago Sun-Times’ public portal mapping ICE operations and soliciting citizen photos crosses the line from journalism into doxing. This endangers agents and undermines public safety."

Weitzel condemned recent media portrayals of ICE agents, including coverage of a shooting in Franklin Park, Illinois, which he says misrepresented a lawful defensive response as aggression. "ICE agents are federal officers deserving of our respect and support. Refusing to assist them in distress contradicts the core values of professional policing and constitutes official misconduct."

The former chief also responded to inflammatory remarks from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who recently described law enforcement as "a sickness that needs to be eradicated."

Weitzel called the statement "disgusting and insulting," adding, "This goes beyond reform rhetoric — it signals an intent to dismantle professional policing, look at who he surrounds himself with."

Weitzel referenced a 2021 podcast in which Kennedy Bartley, a former top aide to Mayor Johnson, referred to police officers as "f---ing pigs."

"This distorted narrative is dangerous," Weitzel said. "It's time for every law enforcement professional in America to oppose these attacks publicly. We must defend the integrity of our profession."

Weitzel urges citizens and law enforcement leaders to contact the Chicago Sun-Times and Mayor Johnson’s office to demand accountability and reaffirm support for professional policing.