City to send out police saturation patrols, provide recreation for teens this Memorial Day weekend
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Frightening video posted to Twitter shows gunfire at a busy intersection on the Near North Side – coming at the start of a long holiday weekend.
So we wanted to know what the specific plan is to combat crime on a historically violent weekend. CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey pored over the city's plan on Friday.
The city's 21 lakefront beaches opened Friday – though they held little appeal given unseasonably cold weather and conditions too dangerous for swimming. But there are already rumblings about gatherings at North Avenue Beach over the weekend – a period during which the temperature will spike.
Also beginning Friday is the city's new curfew for minors.
After a heated debate, the City Council on approved Mayor Lori Lightfoot's plan to roll back the citywide curfew for minors from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Aldermen voted 30-19 to approve the one hour rollback of the curfew hours on weekends, as well as to expand the city's curfew to include 17-year-olds. As it stands, the city's curfew hours currently apply only to those under age 17.
For the weekend, the city plans to saturate big gathering spots with officers — with a focus in particular on younger groups of people.
Cellphone video captured dozens of shots in broad daylight at Chicago and Cambridge avenues before sunset Thursday evening. It was not the most promising way to kick off the Memorial Day weekend in Chicago.
Last year, 32 people were shot during Memorial Day weekend, and three of them were killed.
The year before — despite a pandemic stay at home order — it was the deadliest Memorial Day weekend in years with more than 40 people shot and 10 killed.
"Historically, as the summer gets warmer, throughout the country in all cities, there's increased potential for violence," said police Supt. David Brown.
And after two years of COVID-19 restrictions — Chicago is fully open this Memorial Day.
Concerns about violence associated with Memorial Day weekend historically are joined now by concerns about recent gun violence downtown.
On the evening of Saturday, May 14, mayhem in Millennium Park Saturday evening resulted in the murder of 16-year-old Seandell Holliday right outside the iconic Cloud Gate sculpture, or The Bean. It later spilled into other areas of downtown Chicago – fights were seen outside the Chase Tower, at Dearborn and Adams streets, and numerous other sites.
The shooting came after a crowd of teens broke out in a fight, groups of them were seen roving through parts of the loop attacking cars that drove past.
On Thursday of last week, mass shooting outside a McDonald's at State Street and Chicago Avenue left two dead and seven others wounded.
With all that in mind, Chicago Police say their officers will be a familiar sight across the city. They held roll call this week at the Chicago Avenue Red Line stop right next to last week's shooting scene.
Foot patrols, bike patrols, roving patrols, focused traffic safety missions, and DUI saturation missions are just a few of the assignments, according to Supt. Brown.
In neighborhoods that have experienced the most violence — the city says they're taking a "block-by-block, hyperlocal strategy" to establish block clubs to strengthen the existing neighborhood associations.
"Over 40 different events throughout the city, and I want to emphasize that the resources that we have in place in the neighborhoods will remain in those neighborhoods," Brown said. "We'll also concentrate our efforts in the parks and the beaches."
Meanwhile, the Chicago Transit Authority said it will provide additional bus and rail service to accommodate large crowds. The city is also emphasizing activities and entertainment for Chicago teens.
"That's where the challenge is," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "We can't just off load our children and hope for the best that's where the challenge comes."
Mayor Lightfoot put a huge emphasis on parents keeping track of their teens this weekend and pushing teens to participate and safe activities downtown. She's encouraging everyone to download the city's "My CHI. My Future." app that helps locate events happening near you.
The city is spending a lot of money violence prevention. Program funding has increased significantly in recent years — we're now spending $52 million dollars a year, which includes funding for street outreach workers.
