Chicago police are considering shutting down the city’s central business district, the Loop, during the weekend hours as one possible measure to stop the looting and violence that has plagued the area in the crime-infested Second City.
“The drastic measure — mentioned in a new internal memo circulating amongst staff — is just an option on the table at this point,” reported Fox News. “Last weekend, violence plagued Chicago’s Loop neighborhood and officers have been ordered this week to cancel upcoming days off “to address current crime patterns.”
#Police: 12-year-old girl injured during #shooting in #Chicago Loop – Dec 7 @ 11:52 AM ET https://t.co/ALccsOnc57
— PulpNews Crime (@PulpNews) December 7, 2021
The internal memo, secured by local WLS News reporters, details “how to staff-up for the weekend, cancel days off, overlap shifts, assign special patrols to retail corridors” and the importance of identifying local “mobilization points” for cops in the city to deter out-of-control violence in the downtown area.
Fox News reported that police previously raised the bridges limiting access to the central downtown area, as if the city was a fortress under siege.
“They are trying to prevent the chaos and commotion in the heart of downtown last Saturday night,” reported WLS. “Police arrested 21 young people, and several police officers and others were hurt in a melee that spilled over from parks into streets and intersections.”
Among the victims was a 15-year-old boy who was shot and wounded, a public bus driver who was beaten up, and a 12-year old girl who was shot in the back.
“The girl had been standing in the 100 block of North Michigan Avenue with a group of people when someone fired a shot in their direction,” said the Chicago Tribune, “striking the girl in the back around 8:40 p.m. Saturday, according to a media notification from police.”
Chicago station WGN said that most involved in the violence were “juveniles,” while Fox News warned that the “social media account likely responsible for pulling together the unruly crowd [last weekend] is now planning a second event for this Saturday.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot however didn’t seem to be too worried, saying they followed the same plan they had in place from 2020.
“We followed the protocols that we put in place from the summer of 2020. When it was time for them to leave the park, we made sure they left the park without incident,” said Lightfoot according to WGN.
