Officers Reallocated After Multiple Shootings
By Sean Stillmaker in News on Nov 28, 2010 4:00PM
Chicago Police have been sweeping through the South Side on the hunt for the killers of Officers Michael Flisk, Stephen Peters and David Blake. Police are roaming with automatic rifles, K-9 units, knocking on doors and stopping cars looking for information. Yesterday community volunteers handed out fliers publicizing the $10,000 reward in the case. So far there is a person of interest in Friday's shootings.
A great assist will be the reallocation of officers. Earlier this week Police Supt. Jody Weis announced his plan to reallocate cops from lower crime districts to higher crime areas. Those hot spots are in police areas 1 and 2, meaning the North Side would be stretched a little thinner.
Although crime has been down the same districts for the last two years continue to lead with crime, but City Hall has consistently shown reluctance with any kind of reallocation. The Chicago Lawn District (8th) is ranked first in total crime and is the third largest policing district (23.12 square miles). It’s also where Officer Blake was murdered on Monday, a visitation is being held today.
A Sun Times analysis found the Chicago Lawn District had 130,000 911 calls from Jan. 2009 - present, the most of the 25 police districts. For the last two years five South Side districts rank in the top 10 of total crime, according the monthly index crime report.
Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th), who supports the reallocation, says the officers are so busy chasing calls they cannot do any preventative work. Her ward mainly sits inside the 6th police district which ranks fifth in total crime. Ald. Tom Allen (38th), following a long line of predecessors, does not want officers taken out of his ward to help needier Chicagoans. His ward sits inside Jefferson Park (16th, the largest policing district) and Portage Park (17th), which rank 19th and 15th in total crime respectively.
The reallocation will help alleviate the strain on the burdened police districts of areas 1 and 2. The five officers murdered this year all occurred in these areas. Looking ahead the first police exam in four years will be held Dec. 11, but passing candidates cannot enter the police academy unless they’re over 25.