BRONZEVILLE — Chicago Police targeted two violent street gangs this week, rounding up 140 people on the West Side and seizing guns, drugs and cash.
“We know there are 1,300-1,400 individuals in the city of Chicago that are driving most of our violence,” Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a Friday afternoon press conference at police headquarters at 3510 N. Michigan Ave.
RELATED: SHOOTING NEAR POLICE HEADQUARTERS LEAVES ONE DEAD, ONE WOUNDED
“Those individuals need to know that if they don’t choose to take an alternative lifestyle then we’ll bring everything we have at our disposal, including our federal partners, to come at them to put the weight of the Chicago Police Department on them to stop them from driving the violence in the city.”
Johnson said bust, the third major gang sweep this year, targeted people in the West Side's Harrison and Austin Districts that police believe are more likely to be involved in gun violence. More than half of the arrested were charged with selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school, but police did not immediately divulge the full list of charges.
Johnson said the bust targeted people on the police's strategic subject list, a list of people with a previous arrest record or a history of violence the police believe are likely to be involved in a shooting.
According to police, 23 guns and $45,000 in heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana were seized during the arrests.
Deputy Chief Eric Carter said the arrests coordinated over the last day and a half and targeted the Traveling Vice Lords and Four Corner Hustlers and police believe 95 of the people arrested have a gang affiliation.
Johnson said another 31 people will be arrested during their next interaction with police.
He said 136 of the people arrested had been charged with felonies and four with misdemeanors.
“We will definitely continue these types of missions,” Johnson said. “It’s progress, it’s not success.”
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
