CHICAGO — The Cook County Sheriff's Department helped crack down on crime in Back of the Yards amidst a recent surge in violence.
The Sheriff's Department sent an extra 100 officers to the area, bringing in vice/human trafficking, gun and drug abatement specialists, according to a news release from the 15th Ward office.
Ald. Ray Lopez asked for the department's help in March amid an uptick in crime. Though residents fired back, saying "violence does not define us," the department increased their presence in the neighborhood earlier this week.
“We wanted extra help in dealing with the overwhelming amount of violent crime, drug trade and vice in the community,” Lopez said in the Friday news release. “I am grateful to Sheriff Dart for hearing us and responding.”
The neighborhood has been hard hit by violence this year: A 42-year-old woman was found dead in an alley on Friday morning, and homicides have risen dramatically so far this year.
A spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Department said the department might help again, but she couldn't provide more details.
Lopez said the ward will also provide programs to help "our residents who are law-abiding and who deserve a peaceful and prosperous community."
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