Expanded Resources Helped Keep Shootings Down Memorial Day Weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) – Targeted enforcement, raids and hundreds of additional police officers patrolling the city all played a role in the plan to keep violence down in Chicago this Memorial Day weekend.
So did it work? As CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports, Chicago Police say "yes!"
"Anytime that we keep someone from getting shot and someone from getting murdered it is a success," said Chicago Police Chief Fred Waller.
And that is what thousands of Chicago Police officers tried to do this holiday weekend.
The result: a nearly 30 percent drop in both shootings and murders.
According to CPD, this year, from 6 p.m. Friday to midnight Monday, 44 people were shot, five of them killed. Last year 61 people were shot and seven killed over the same time frame.
CPD's expanded use of technology, including Shot Spotter and Hunch Lab, is being credited with helping to drive down the number of shootings and murders.
It is already showing success in the 7th and 11th districts, and on Tuesday, the 9th District in the Bridgeport neighborhood launched its own strategic decision support center.
"With Shot Spotter actually going live and then additional cameras, I think we are going to have some phenomenal reduction in crimes," said Chicago Police Commander Stephen Chung.
As for the weekend's drop in murders and shootings…
CBS: Do you think it was more the technology or the visibility of the officers?
"I think it's a combination of those," Chief Waller said. "We don't just pour those officers into any place. We strategically placed those officers in certain districts, certain areas."
CBS: Did the technology play into those decisions?
"Yes it did. The 9th did fairly well this weekend, so I think it did help. The 6th District did fairly well. Everywhere that we had Shot Spotter had good results," Chief Waller said.
And last week's targeted enforcement and raids also helped.
"Taking down the right people beforehand. Getting them off the street before the weekend," said Chicago Police First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro.
As for how much the weekend crackdown will cost taxpayers, a CPD spokesperson said the city will not know until all the officers, including the 1,300 additional who worked each day, submit their overtime slips.
