CHICAGO — The Police Department will have 100 to 300 additional officers receiving overtime during the summer in what it is calling a "surge" to stem crime in high-violence areas throughout the city.
On regular weekdays, 100 additional officers will be in high-crime areas such as certain city parks, CTA property and public housing facilities, the department said in a statement.
The number of additional officers patrolling will increase to 200 on weekends and 300 on holiday weekends throughout the summer.
"We all know that crime spikes in the summer when there are more people out on the street, and more opportunities for confrontations or violence," Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said in a statement. "Just because that's a reality doesn't mean it is acceptable, and we will continue building on our policing strategy to ensure every family, every child and every resident can enjoy a safe and carefree summer."
The cost of the initiative will be paid from the budgets of the Chicago Park District, Chicago Housing Authority and the CTA, said police spokesman Adam Collins.
The locations that will see increased patrols were determined based on police data, Collins said.
In certain parks, two additional officers will be on duty covering four-hour patrol shifts after park staff leaves for the day.
In Chicago Housing Authority property, officers will focus on quality-of-life issues such as gang loitering and illegal dice games.
Regarding the CTA, police will focus on high-crime bus and train stations.
Last year, the department started "Operation Impact," which added additional patrol officers to high-crime zones throughout the city.
