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Murders And Shootings Up For First Half Of 2015

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The latest data from the Chicago Police Department show overall crime is down compared to last year, but shootings and murders are on the rise.

Through the first half of the year, there have been 13 more murders, 20 more shooting incidents, and 24 more shooting victims than the first half of 2014, according to statistics provided by police. At the same time, overall crime is down 7 percent.

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said part of the challenge in reducing gun violence is gang members are more worried about what their gang will do to them if they lose a gun than they are about what the courts will do to them if they're arrested with an illegal firearm.

"These kids don't drop the guns when we chase them, which is different than anything I've experienced in other cities," he said.

The superintendent said his department makes more gun arrests than any other city in the nation, but he said without better state and federal laws to help keep illegal guns off the streets, and out of the hands of dangerous criminals, his officers will continue to face an uphill battle.

"This year, our gun arrests are up by a lot. We're up by about 25 percent in gun arrests," McCarthy said.

He said more and more gun offenders end up back on the streets soon after they're arrested, because gun laws aren't strict enough.

"The criminal justice system is not supporting a reduction in gun violence in the state of Illinois," he said.

McCarthy said at least eight people have been arrested twice this year for illegal possession of firearms.

"Five of them are already back on the street as we speak. Three out of four people that we arrested in the first quarter are on the street right now, who we've arrested with firearms," he said.

With the approach of the 4th of July holiday weekend – which typically sees a significant spike in shootings – McCarthy said Chicago police officers will be working 12-hour tours Friday through Monday, "which means, virtually, we're increasing our manpower by about a third across the city."

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