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1,000 Extra Police Officers On The Street For Fourth Of July Weekend

By  Kelly Bauer and Kayla Martinez | June 30, 2017 2:50pm | Updated on July 3, 2017 10:51am

 The Chicago Police Department will put an extra 1,000 officers on the street for the Fourth of July weekend.
The Chicago Police Department will put an extra 1,000 officers on the street for the Fourth of July weekend.
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CHICAGO POLICE HEADQUARTERS — The Chicago Police Department will put an extra 1,000 officers on the street for the Fourth of July weekend.

The holiday weekend is often one of the most — if not the most — violent weekends in Chicago, with four people killed and 62 wounded in shootings during last year's Fourth of July weekend.

"It will not be business as usual" this Fourth of July, said acting U.S. Attorney Joel Levin.

In a bid to combat that violence, Chicago Police will put more than 1,000 officers than usual on the streets starting Friday night and lasting through Fourth of July on Tuesday, said First Deputy Supt. Kevin Navarro.

Mobile command centers will be placed in "strategic" locations, Navarro said, and Police command staff — including Navaro — will be spread throughout the city. Illinois State Police will also patrol, looking for their "fatal four:" people speeding, driving under the influence, not wearing seatbelts and distracted driving.

Chicago Police will also have an "elevated presence" at crowd-heavy events like the Navy Pier fireworks show, though there have been no credible threats to Chicago, Navarro said.