CHICAGO POLICE CONDUCT GANG ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVES TO COMBAT GANG VIOLENCE
ILLINOIS — The Chicago Police Department recently conducted enforcement initiatives to confiscate illegal guns and narcotics that contribute to gang violence. These initiatives represent the Department’s commitment to combat the street gangs that represent the main source of violent crime in Chicago.
During the recent enforcements, Chicago Police recovered:
-50 illegal guns including multiple semi-automatic pistols and shotguns as well as an AK47 Assault Rifle – many of the guns had their serial numbers removed to be rendered untraceable after a violent crime
-Various narcotics including nearly 50lbs of cocaine from the search of a semi-truck on I-57 bound for Chicago used to fund gang activity
-Almost $10,000 in US Currency
Additionally, Chicago Police closed a retail store on the 500 block of S. Cicero that has been used as the site of
unlicensed illegal activity. Most recently, a homicide occurred inside the business earlier this month, serving as the second violent incident to occur at this location. The business was closed under the Summary Closure Ordinance
which allows the Department to close businesses that serve as a public safety threat. This is the seventh business to be closed under this ordinance.
“The possession of illegal guns by gangs poses a threat to the safety of every Chicagoan,” said Interim Superintendent John Escalante. “While we will continue to conduct these important enforcement initiatives to reduce the number of illegal guns on the streets, we can dramatically improve public safety by adopting commonsense gun safety laws that will save lives and make our communities safer and stronger.”
The recent enforcement initiatives are the latest in a series of efforts by the Department to crack down on gang activity in 2016 including:
-A 14 month investigation into a gang-led counterfeit ticketing operation that led to the arrest of at least eight gang members
-Increasing patrols in areas affected by gang violence to reduce the likelihood of retaliatory acts
-A strengthened strategic partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department to add law enforcement resources and another layer to check on known gang members on supervised release.
-The decentralization of gang enforcement units to add more mobile and nimble investigative units to Areas and Districts
The Department will continue to implement practices aimed to reduce violent offenses as well as conduct ongoing
enforcement initiatives to debilitate the ability of gangs to inflict harm in Chicago’s neighborhoods.
