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81 Arrested In South, West Side Raids

By Erica Demarest | February 24, 2017 5:45pm | Updated on February 28, 2017 11:44am
 Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said Cook County needs tougher sentencing for gun-related crimes.
Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said Cook County needs tougher sentencing for gun-related crimes.
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DNAinfo files/Ted Cox

BRONZEVILLE — Chicago police arrested 81 people overnight in a series of raids designed to reduce violence on the South and West Sides, Police Supt. Eddie Johnson announced Friday.

Chief Anthony Riccio, who runs the Police Department's Organized Crime Bureau, said officers have spent the last three weeks creating a list of 122 repeat offenders known to be involved with gangs and drugs. Police arrested 81 of their targets Thursday and Friday, Riccio said, seizing 12 guns along the way, including "a machine gun" capable of firing 40 to 50 rounds "in a matter of seconds."

"The fact that we took that gun off the street alone," Riccio said, "is going to be a big impact in reducing crime on the West Side."

Police anticipate felony charges for 79 arrestees, from distributing drugs to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. A Police Department spokesman Friday said 62 arrestees were convicted felons; 19 previously had been arrested for guns; and 14 were on parole for selling drugs.

"These results," Johnson said, "continue to drive home the fact that there are repeat gun offenders that don't care that they're on parole, don't care about that fact that they're already previously convicted felons, and lastly, still think it's OK to carry guns and sell drugs."

Speaking at a news conference in Police Department headquarters at 3510 S. Michigan Ave., Johnson said the raids are part of a 2017 push for proactive policing "to get several steps ahead of some of the individuals doing violence in our communities."

Earlier this week, the city announced plans to expand its Shotspotter program, which detects gunshots, throughout the Austin and Deering police districts.

Johnson expressed frustration with Cook County's judicial system — saying that officers continue to arrest repeat offenders who are often released from prison on light sentences.

"In Cook County, we just don't a good job of holding repeat gun offenders accountable for their actions," Johnson said. "They don't fear repercussions.  [The 81 people we arrested] are repeat offenders. They're not new to us. They're not new to us. The simple fact is we need the judicial system and legislators to help us with this."

When asked about President Donald Trump's Thursday tweet — which read, "Seven people shot and killed yesterday in Chicago. What is going on there — totally out of control. Chicago needs help!" — Johnson said he'd welcome federal resources but Chicago police aren't sitting around waiting for a savior.

"Listen," Johnson said, "we haven't been sitting around for months and years, just waiting on someone else to help us. We work every day, as hard as we can, to reduce the gun violence in this city. Law enforcement, community members, elected officials — everyone is not just sitting on their hands waiting."

Johnson said community resources such as mentorship programs and job training are necessary to create safer neighborhoods.

"This violence problem isn't just a one-point fix," Johnson said. "It's a multilayered onion that we just have to keep peeling back until we get to the root of it."