Chicago Police Supt. McCarthy Touts Crime Prevention Measures As 20 Wounded In Weekend Shootings
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 9, 2012 2:20PM
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy worked overtime to accentuate the positives after a weekend where another 20 people were injured in shootings across the city.
McCarthy noted this weekend's numbers were half the total of shootings for the same weekend last year. He also said that while 2012 shootings are up by eight percent over 2011, they've decreased considerably since March when the year-to-year increase was 40 percent.
McCarthy said that new initiatives aimed at curbing violence are beginning to produce results. Police are investigating the social networks of victims of shootings and discovering that acquaintances in those networks are 30 times more likely to be involved in violent crime. Tactical unit officers are now staying in their districts unless ordered to respond to an incident from the department's high command.
McCarthy also said the murder rate is well below the record of 970 set in 1974, although it's still on pace to reach 450 murders and that the murder rate is increasing as overall violent crime in Chicago is showing a decline. McCarthy, who was hailed as a MacArthur-like figure for his handling of the NATO Summit protests, now faces criticism as the gun violence takes center stage.