Officials evaluate summer safety plan going forward after deadliest Memorial Day weekend in years
CHICAGO (CBS) -- This Memorial Day weekend was the deadliest Chicago has seen in years, with 12 people shot or stabbed to death.
How are city leaders responding, and how did the city's summer safety plan work out on its first weekend? As CBS 2's Tara Molina reported Tuesday, it was all-hands-on-deck for police.
With an increased presence across the city, there was a focus on beaches and public spaces. The chair of City Council's public safety committee told me those officers made a difference.
Police said from Friday night to late Tuesday night, there were 42 shooting incidents – in which 53 were shot.
Eleven of those 53 people died, and a 12th person was stabbed to death.
"You can't look at a bloody weekend like that and call it a success. We have a lot more work to do," Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd). "A lot of the programs that we're talking about right now take weeks, if not years, to really show and impact."
The violence set records Chicago doesn't want. But we're told there were lessons learned.
"The safety plan is a living, breathing document," said Hopkins.
As part of that plan, Chicago Police officers covered the city - with one day off and vacations canceled. They worked overtime to keep the city safe.
Hopkins is chair of the City Council's Public Safety Committee - a role he said he is taking seriously as we head into summer. Hopkins said the police preparation to cover beaches - especially after gunfire rang out on North Avenue Beach Friday - was a win this weekend.
"We were able to manage the crowds on the beach a little more effectively. You know, Friday night at North Avenue Beach was very disturbing. We thought that could be a precursor for the entire weekend," Hopkins said. "It turned out to not be - and that's because the CPD Summer Resource Team was down on the beach - and anytime the crowds started to get a little out of control, they were able to suppress that - using the tactics that they've practiced."
Hopkins also said the police captains and lieutenants in the field made a big difference - something the committee remember moving forward.
As for the 30 "peacekeepers" - outreach workers announced by Gov. JB Pritzker's office and dispatched across the city – Hopkins did not have much information.
"They were out there," Hopkins said. "That's about all we know right now."
Hopkins says city officials are not aware of exactly what those 30 workers accomplished quite yet. But that will change too - since the peacekeepers are going to be at work through the summer.
"We're spending the money on this, and it's fine," Hopkins said. "But we have to make sure that the money is well spent - and that requires some careful monitoring, and it requires an extra measure of accountability."
Hopkins added that the true test for the city's summer safety plan is yet to come.
"This holiday weekend may not have been the true test. We will see in the coming weeks now the situation changes," Hopkins said. "We have a lot more work to do and when 11 people die on a holiday weekend because of gun violence, you really can't call it a success."
Hopkins added that efforts to turn around the city's violence crisis will take a lot more than one weekend.
"You want to change people's lives and steer them away from drugs and crime and violence. You can't do that in one weekend – even when you throw all the resources at it that we did," he said. "There's a lot more work to do."
Molina reached the Governor's office about the peacekeepers and the impact they made this weekend. There was no response late Monday.
There was also no response Monday from the Mayor's office, Chicago Police, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, or the Chicago Transit Authority about how the summer safety plan execution went and if any changes are being made moving forward.
However, Mayor Brandon Johnson did release this statement late Tuesday:
"The violence our city experienced this weekend is intolerable. It produced pain and trauma that devastated communities across Chicago, and my heart breaks for everyone affected. That's why as mayor, I am committed to leveraging every single resource at our disposal to protect every single life in our city.
"This holiday weekend, thousands of police officers, first responders, city workers, business leaders, organizers, faith leaders, and violence interrupters tirelessly dedicated themselves to keeping Chicago safe. I offer my deep gratitude to all those involved. We have much more work to do, but the work performed by these individuals this weekend is the foundation for how we will ultimately secure safety together.
"As a result of their efforts, thousands of Chicagoans and visitors enjoyed themselves safely at beaches, festivals, and neighborhood events across the city. Tragically, however, too many others were unable to. But I know none of us will rest until every Chicagoan can safely enjoy all the beauty our city has to offer."
