Chicago's Top Cop 'Sick And Tired' Of Violence; More Officers Hit Streets

[Purveyor]

Source: Chicago Tribune

July 1, 2016

Saying he was "sick and tired" of the violence plaguing the city, Chicago's top cop announced Friday that thousands more law enforcement officers would hit the streets, lakefront and major tourist attractions, including Navy Pier, this Fourth of July weekend.

Within the past 24 hours, three people had died and 21 more were wounded in violence across the city: this on the eve of the July Fourth weekend, typically one of the most violent holiday weekends of the year.

On the heels of the violence between Thursday and Friday morning, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson called a news conference to discuss this weekend's policing strategy, and he called the level of crime in the city unacceptable.

"I'm sick and tired of it and I know the people who live in those communities are tired of it," Johnson told reporters during the news conference at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "I get tired every morning of getting briefed on all these shootings and these murders that's occurring in Chicago. Any leader in the city of Chicago, if they're not upset and angry about the level of violence in this city, then they shouldn't be a leader."

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-holiday-weekend-police-plan-met-0702-20160701-story.html

[840high]

1. kick

[ErikJ]

2. Its time for Robocop.

If there werent so many millions of guns in the US it would be a different story. Strawmen buy lots of guns in Indiana Or they are stolen on the black market) and go back to Chicago where they are illegal and sell them on the street for $50 bucks. .

[Initech]

3. Well we could outlaw guns and legalize drugs and demilitarize the police...

And most of this shit would disappear in a couple of generations, but we don't have time for rational solutions!

[Photographer]

4. +100

[Feeling the Bern]

6. Thanks for paraphrasing the late great George Carlin's line on State Prison Farms.

I heard him saying this.

[Initech]

7. One of my all time favorite Carlin bits!

[NWCorona]

5. More cops on the street isn't the solution but something has got to give

[christx30]

8. People could just up and decide to

give up dealing drugs, get out of gangs and stop killing each other. But that's not bound to happen.
Each crime is a conscious decision to do the wrong thing.
Nothing is going to get fixed this weekend to turn Chicago into a great society. So maybe more cops can minimize the number of deaths. Not like anyone else in the city has the power or inclination to stop it.

[Midnight Writer]

9. I disagree. The "Magic Mile" in Chicago is safer than your living room. 10 cops per block.

Every street corner has two fixed cops plus walking patrols plus "flying patrols" that rush to trouble spots plus vehicle patrols plus private security. Violent crime here is practically zero.

Most of the violent crime in Chicago is in relatively small areas (around 400 blocks, or 20 square blocks). If these areas got the same police attention as the affluent shopping areas, I predict violence in these areas would drop.

Of course, the criminals would move to different areas. Fortunately, technology is available to track crime on a minute by minute basis and resources could shift quickly as needed, unlike criminals who tend to operate in their local familiar territory.

What is needed is will, budgeting, manpower, different techniques, community involvement and old fashioned "cops on the beat".

Meanwhile, I see predictions of 60 to 80 shootings this weekend. In Chicago alone.

[kentauros]

10. Walking cops is one of the good ways to help.

As are police on bicycles and mounted (horseback.) What helps most is to get them out of the car, because that's just too much of a barrier to communication. The car is intimidating. While the horse can be too, lots of people love horses, so it becomes another communication tool.

Yes, you still need police in cars as you have detailed, because cops on foot, bike, and horse can only do so much. Yet, they can get into places the cars can't go, and are easily left behind when it's necessary to use your feet and hands (such as getting over fences.)

[Akicita]

11. Honest poor people and POC deserve to live in safe neighborhoods just as much as affluent people do.

How bad does it have to get before the lions share of the police resources are shifted to that 20 square block area you refer to? You would think we are way past that point now.

[Person 2713]

12. Ok but the lakefront and tourist areas are not on the west side wonder what streets they mean, Rush?

...announced Friday that thousands more law enforcement officers would hit the streets, lakefront and major tourist attractions, including Navy Pier, ...

Hope they blanket the gang areas too and remove the violence . I don't have a link but I heard this summer the plan was they were going to tail/follow certain gangs that definitely are suspect of most of these killing wars.

[romanic]

13. The South Side needs more police on the streets.

And not just in patrol cars, walk the streets and make small talk with the community. Build bridges and discourage the "no snitch" street code. Change has to start small and on the streets.