BRONZEVILLE — Chicago police officers arrested 57 people overnight and seized eight guns in the sixth of a series of raids designed to reduce drug dealing and gang violence on the South and West Sides.
Officers were targeting 102 people who had histories of gang ties, gun arrests and drug convictions, Chief Anthony Riccio said at a news conference Wednesday inside Chicago Police Department headquarters at 3510 S. Michigan Ave.
"Violence is the common denominator that put these individuals and their dope business on our radar," Riccio told reporters.
Of the 57 people arrested, 54 will be charged with felonies, Riccio said. Thirty-nine are convicted felons; 19 had previous gun arrests; six will be sent to drug treatment programs.
"The people that we're locking up are the people that we've locked up before," Riccio said. "We can only hope that the courts hold them and convict them. Keep them in there to keep these communities safe."
CPD RAID: Of the 57 arrested thus far, 39 are previously convicted felons - 10 for illegal gun charges. Here are some of the guns seized: pic.twitter.com/7xtNYJB2OU
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) April 12, 2017
Officers still are seeking 45 people who were not arrested during the raids.
Riccio said this week's raid was the sixth in a series that began late last year. People can expect "multiple additional raids" in coming months, he said. The goal, Riccio said, is to target those linked to violent crime to "keep streets safer for a period of time."
Of the eight guns collected, two were assault rifles with extended magazines capable of firing 30 rounds at a time, police said.
"There's nothing more terrorizing than weapons such as these assault weapons in the hands of gang members in our communities," Riccio said.
First Deputy Supt. Kevin Navarro applauded officers Wednesday morning, but noted, "It's clear there's much more to do. There's still too many lives lost to gun violence."
"It will take a lot more than arresting these men to reduce crime," Navarro said. "Everyone has a hand in that. It will take reinvestment in our poorest communities, greater access to health care and education, mentoring at-risk youth and sentencing guidelines that hold the repeat offenders accountable."
