CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Should we sue the gang members? That’s the new strategy proposed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to curb gang violence.

But if these criminals don’t respect the law, will they respect a lawsuit? 

“I don’t see too many gangbangers responding to a court order to show up to court,” former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said on” Banfield.” “I don’t see it. I frankly see them laughing at that.”

However, Blagojevich said he does not see a downside to the idea as long as the focus stays on what he believes is the “real fight.”

“This is a war,” Blagojevich said. “This isn’t going to be won in the courts. It’s going to be won on the streets.”

Blagojevich said he would hire and train 10,000 more police officers, almost double the force, to combat crime in the city.

“I make them go after those gangbangers, arrest them, disarm them, put them in jail, and then worry about whether or not you want to sue them after that,” Blagojevich said.

He believes Lightfoot’s proposal is more political than practical.

“The fact is that summer is almost over and one good thing about the weather getting colder is gangbangers are … less trigger happy,” Blagojevich said. “They shoot at people less in the cold weather. And so the fact that she’s done it now suggests it’s less about really going after the criminals and more about public relations and preparing for her reelection.”

Watch “Banfield” weeknights at 10/9c on NewsNation.