POLICE SUPERINTENDENT GIVES CRIME UPDATE AND REFLECTS ON SUMMER VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson (pictured) recently visited the City Club of Chicago to speak about summer crime statistics and violence prevention tactics. Photo Credit: City Club of Chicago
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson (pictured) recently visited the City Club of Chicago to speak about summer crime statistics and violence prevention tactics. Photo Credit: City Club of Chicago

Police Superintendent Gives Crime Update And Reflects On Summer Violence Prevention

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Chicago’s Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson recently visited the City Club of Chicago to share his reflections on crime statistics and violence prevention tactics that he found to work over the summer. Johnson reported that crime was down in Chicago this summer compared to last year and that strong city and community partnerships were partly responsible for that.

In addition to what Johnson said during his appearance at the City Club of Chicago, recently released data regarding crime in CPD’s 2nd District, which encompasses Hyde Park and its surrounding neighborhoods, shows that crime in the area is also down in most major areas compared to the last four years.

As of Oct. 13, crime complaints are down in the 2nd district in all major categories except for criminal sexual assault and theft when compared to this time last year. The trend of crime in the second district being down in all areas except for criminal sexual assault and theft holds true when data from 2015 to the present are compared, according to information provided by the Chicago Police Department.

“I’m pleased to report that crime was down in all major categories this summer compared to last summer. The credit for these declines goes to several partners. Our community partners, our business partners, the clergy, our elected officials, and our outgoing and incoming mayors,” said Johnson.

Johnson noted new partnerships and support from other City departments were key to reducing crime over the summer, which is known to be a difficult task in Chicago. Johnson also went on to commend the work of Chicago’s beat cops who patrol neighborhoods, beaches, events, and high traffic areas across the city.

“I want to focus on the men and women of the Chicago Police Department because they worked every weekend and every day of this past summer,” said Johnson. “Many of our officers canceled vacations and missed family barbecues to patrol high traffic areas like the beaches and downtown shopping areas. Some of the patrols included additional manpower in the neighborhoods around the city and officers rode bicycles through bustling parks and responded to calls on hot summer nights in neighborhoods where tension can be as high as the temperature.”

During his talk at the City Club of Chicago, Johnson talked about how CPD called on Chicago’s youth to help keep the peace over the summer and acknowledged the help of Chicago Public School (CPS) students who acted as outreach workers to mediate conflicts between police and young people.

“Chicago Public Schools helped us cultivate outreach workers and these CPS students helped us keep the peace on several occasions,” said Johnson. “All young people ought to feel welcome to the downtown area and anywhere throughout the city but everyone has to play by the rules. These outreach workers helped CPD and the students arriving on the train maintain a level head and our young people deserve a pat on the back for those efforts because they truly did partner with us during the summer to keep those tensions down.”

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