Volume 13
“ You create that by holding them accountable for their actions . We simply don ’ t do a good job of that right now .”
Johnson recalled that when he joined CPD in 1988 , he and fellow officers responded daily to calls of gang fights in progress .
“ We rarely hear that call anymore ,” he said . “ What we hear now is a person with a gun or a person shot . They just go straight to a firearm and they resolve their disputes with a weapon .”
June 2017 Edition
responsible for the disproportionate number of homicides and shootings ,” Anderson said .
The homicide task force has focused considerable effort on two of the city ’ s most historically violent areas — the 11th District on the West Side and the 7th District on the South Side .
“ Since we put the task force in place ,” Johnson said , “ we ’ ve seen significant drops in gun violence in these two districts . We are making some real positive gains ,” he said .
“ By no means are we declaring success , but we have seen some really encouraging results .”
Flowers , candles , and a t-shirt that says “ Justice for Marc ” mark the spot where an individual was killed in Chicago . ( Image courtesy of the
FBI )
In Chicago ’ s most violent neighborhoods , primarily on the South and West Sides , friends and loved ones create street memorials to remember the fallen . Sometimes the victims are gang members killed by rivals , while others are innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire or by a stray bullet . ( Image
courtesy of the FBI )
“ Communities are being hijacked by a relatively small percentage of people ,” Anderson said .
“ The overwhelming majority of residents are hard-working citizens going to work , going to school , trying to go about their daily lives . These communities are under siege , and they are desperately looking for help .”
Of Chicago ’ s 22 police districts , the majority of violent crimes are taking places in a cluster of neighborhoods on the South and West Sides .
“ A handful of districts — probably five or six — are
D r i v i n g through the city ’ s most violent neighborhoods — Austin , Englewood , North Lawndale , Auburn Gresham — the streets and parks appear peaceful , and often they are . But when the violence comes , it is sudden and usually without warning .
One gang member might have disrespected a rival gang member — increasingly through social media — and they go looking for each other to settle matters with their guns .
“ When I started as a cop ,” Johnson said , “ if you 11