Trump administration opposes Chicago police reform plan

The Trump administration is opposing a draft plan hammered out by Chicago and the state of Illinois for far-reaching reforms of Chicago police under federal court supervision.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a brief written statement Tuesday saying the Justice Department will file "a statement of interest" opposing the plan. Sessions says it is "imperative" that Chicago "not repeat the mistakes of the past," adding that "the safety of Chicago depends on it."

The plan foresees far stricter rules on use of force by officers. It's still subject to federal court approval.

President Donald Trump in a speech Monday criticized a separate 2015 agreement between Chicago and the ACLU curbing stop-and-frisk procedures by police.

Sessions echoed that criticism, saying that agreement "kicked off perhaps the greatest surge in murder ever suffered by a major American city."