Chicago Police To Deploy 1,200 Additional Officers July 4 Weekend

CHICAGO — After another violent weekend in Chicago, police Supt. David Brown announced plans to deploy an additional 1,200 officers to shooting "hotspots" starting Thursday and everyday over the July 4th holiday weekend.

Brown said officers will focus their attention on open air drug markets and gun arrests, which he called precursors to violence that killed 14 people, including two children over the weekend.

"These two types of arrests are precursors to violence in Chicago. And right now there are zero consequences to those arrests," Brown said.

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The superintendent said he believes the coronavirus crisis, which has brought criminal courts to a near halt and led to the release of more people on electronic monitoring, has contributed to a spike in shootings.

"These murdering, evil bastards have taken advantage of the situation," Brown said.

Starting Thursday, Brown said, the police department will boost manpower on the street in a "full-court press" with an endgame of arrests for the precursors of violence.

"So, every day we are going to be clearing these drug corners to protect these young people from violence," he said.

"But when we clear these corners we're pleading with the court systems, keep 'em in jail through the weekend. ... Not forever. Through the weekend at least. Let's protect these young people who are victim of their circumstances in many cases. They have no other opportunity. ... Many are being manipulated by these evil masterminds in this drug market that are making tens of thousands of dollars a day from these corners."