UPTOWN — At least 27 people, including members of three different gangs, were arrested Wednesday in Uptown in a Chicago Police Department raid.
Detectives said those arrested were all on the Police Department's Strategic Subject List and might have played a role in the recent spike in violence, according to a press release.
"We are making clear to anyone who contributes to the violence in Chicago that the Police Department will hold you accountable for your actions — period," Supt. Eddie Johnson said.
The operation was initiated about a month ago near Broadway and Wilson Avenue and included 30 raids on gang members "living and operating in the area," said Anthony Riccio, chief of the department's Bureau of Organized Crime.
Seven people are still wanted after the bust, including those believed to be responsible for shootings, street robberies and burglaries, Riccio said.
The arrests included one of two men charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer after an incident June 22 that left an officer unconscious. The other man is still on the loose, he said.
The bust, which occurred in the Sheridan Park area, was the largest in Uptown in recent years, according to Ald. James Cappleman (46th).
"This particular [area], I've been tracking for the last 7-8 years, is around the 98th or 99th percentile for drug abuse arrests," Cappleman said at a press conference Thursday announcing the arrests.
"We've known there have been some issues ... but in the past two years we've seen an increase in it. That's why we've worked so diligently with the [Town Hall] district and the Community Justice Center to address it," Cappleman said.
The alderman said he would continue to monitor the court cases of the people arrested in the raid.
"Yesterday, I contacted the Cook County State's Attorney's Office's Community Justice Center to follow these arrests so that we can send a very clear message that drug dealing in this community will not be tolerated under any circumstances," he said.
Over the last six weeks, undercover officers have been buying drugs from the suspects to strengthen the likelihood of criminal convictions, Cappleman said.
Last month, police conducted one of their largest efforts to curb drug sales and violence, arresting 140 people including 95 "documented gang members."
"We have been taking a number of steps this summer to demonstrate that violence this summer will not be tolerated, and we will continue this important work to ensure that every resident enjoys the same sense of safety," Johnson said.
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