As Police Prepare Summer Safety Plan, Supt. Johnson And Mayor-Elect Lightfoot Seek To First Keep Kids Out Of Trouble
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Police Department is preparing its plan to fight violent crime this summer, and both Police Supt. Eddie Johnson and Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot said more needs to be done to keep kids out of trouble when they're not in school, rather than simply arresting them when they do.
Jonson said there are still some details within the department's summer safety plan which he can't discuss yet, but ultimately he's focused on deploying resources in areas and districts where they are most needed.
However, he also stressed police can't arrest its way out of the usual spike in summer crime.
"We always look at crime reduction as a police issue, when in fact you also have to address root causes of crime," he said.
Johnson said that's why the department is adding certain stakeholders to its summer safety plan.
"We have to have community groups involved, business groups, the clergy," he said.
Whle Johnson said he can't specify the stakeholders yet, he did talk about having increased police visibility along the lakefront beaches and on Lake Shore Drive, as well as bike teams in entertainment districts and high foot traffic areas.
The department also will work with federal partners to fight the flow of illegal guns into Chicago.
As for data-driven policing strategies, Johnson said it's too early to pinpoint hotspots for crime. He said the answer will be more definitive as summer approaches.
"It's a very fluid situation. So have to wait until we get to that particular point in time before we can really access what we need to do and where we can actively deploy our resources," he said.
As for incidents of rowdy teenagers gathering downtown over spring break at Chicago Public Schools, fighting each other and blocking traffic as they crowded the streets, Johnson said police were prepared to handle those problems. He said his department knew the teens would be there, and responded accordingly.
"It was no accident that we had that large [police] presence down there," Johnson said.
About 200 officers tried to bring a group of about 500 young people under control as the teens ran through the streets downtown. A total of 26 people were arrested for disorderly conduct after ignoring police orders to disperse.
Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot said the city needs to do better about making sure there are productive activities available for all CPS students when they're on spring break.
"The city should have been better prepared for spring break, to make sure that kids who can't afford to go off to Florida for the week actually have something productive to do," she said. "Obviously I don't think anybody anticipated that this was something that was trending on Facebook, there were going to be hundreds of kids gathering in the downtown area, but that's why you need to be prepared to have a plan."
Johnson agreed that there needs to be a plan beyond simply arresting rowdy teens when they misbehave, and to give them something to do when they're not in school so they don't get into trouble.
"We need to figure out other ways to keep these kids busy, so that they don't come down there with nefarious intentions," he said.
That's another part of CPD's summer safety plan; having their community policing office interacting with young people as an alternative to simply hanging out and causing trouble.
Police said most crime in Chicago is down so far this year compared to last, with shootings down 8 percent, murders down 10 percent, and robberies down 23 percent. One exception is sexual assaults, which are up 13 percent.
