Police Say Shootings Dropped 42% After Weekend Anti-Violence Mission
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police sent a slew of officers into three areas on the West and South sides this past weekend, and the superintendent said it paid off with a drop in shootings citywide.
Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said there was a 42 percent drop in shootings in the city this weekend compared to last weekend.
"The point is, given this historical crime that we see in this area, it was reduced significantly," Johnson said. "Even more important than the numbers, however, our combined efforts were meant to send a clear message to criminals in these communities that their actions will not go without consequence."
He said the main reason was about 100 extra officers were deployed in each of three districts -- two on the West Side and one on the South Side -- as part of the department's "Strategic Anti-Violence Mission."
Police said the mission targeted parts of the Gresham, Ogden, and Austin police districts, because of "intelligence and data for potential retaliation from the shootings that occurred over the Halloween weekend."
Even though there was a drop in shootings this past weekend, there were still 37 shooting incidents across Chicago from Friday afternoon through Monday morning. The previous weekend, there were 63 shooting incidents citywide.