CPD, ISP Detail Memorial Day Weekend Plans to Curb Gun Violence on Streets and Expressways

• Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Illinois State Police Executive Director Leo Schmitz outline plans to curb violence in the city and region's roadways during a press conference Thursday afternoon.

Chicago, IL, May 27, 2016 -- Motorists, tourists and residents of Chicago can count on seeing a lot of cops this Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The traditional start of the summer season, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Illinois State Police Executive Director Leo Schmitz outlined plans to curb violence on city streets and area expressways.

“Our message to those who wish to victimize neighborhoods with violence is that your actions will not be tolerated,” Johnson said Thursday during a press conference. “The full weight of Chicago police and Illinois State Police and our other law enforcement partners will work to hold you accountable.”

Johnson said thousands of uniformed police officers will be deployed in neighborhoods, parks, roadways and the lake front. An increased number of officers will be on bicycles. Chicago Police Department helicopter and marine units will be fully staffed and covering “air, land and lake” throughout the three-day weekend.

“This time of year, bikes are sometimes better than vehicles as they help officers get to where they have to and encourage positive community engagement,” the police superintendent said. “We’ll also have officers patrolling on foot in neighborhoods and city parks. We’ll be on the lakefront, both at the beaches and on the water.”

Illinois State Police will also be mounting extra patrols this weekend on area expressways, focusing on what ISP Executive Director Schmitz referred to as the fatal four: speeding, DUIs, seatbelts and distracted driving.

“State police will be conducting roadside safety checks and also countermeasure enforcement patrols and speed enforcement patrols,” he said.

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Schmitz also mentioned that Illinois State Police and Chicago Police would have a visible presence on area expressways to deter shootings, which are up to 20 compared to the 12 shootings in 2015.

“We’re working hand in hand with CPD,” Schmitz said. “I want everyone to know they will be safe on the expressways. CPD detectives and our investigators are sharing information. We got meetings set up and we will follow up and prosecute anybody shooting on the expressways.”

Both Schmitz and Johnson attributed the recent spate of violence on the region’s expressways to gang conflicts that start in the inner city and spill out into the roadways.

“The Dan Ryan, 290, we’re looking at all of them,” Schmitz added. “We think we know where the problems could exist and we have extra manpower out there to address that.”

Illinois State Police also plan to have covert cars in place on the ground and planes circling the skies over the weekend.

While 2016 has gotten off to a “very rocky start” Johnson claimed the numbers of gang-related shootings are beginning to go down, although news media reports state that gun violence in Chicago is running 50 percent higher than last year.

“Any level of violence is unacceptable,” Johnson said. “We’re making progress but it’s not success."