Chicago Police Department's FY 22 LLE CGIC Integration Initiative

While still pervasive in several specific geographical spots in the city, available statistics will show that gun-related crime in Chicago was on a downward trend through 2019. However, in 2020 through 2021, despite pandemic-related lockdowns, Chicago's diverse communities experienced a precipitous upsurge in fatal and non-fatal shootings, and an evident increase in the number of police-recovered illegal firearms. In 2022, statistics maintained by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) demonstrate that roughly 50% of shootings in the city occur in just seven of the city’s 22 police Districts – Districts that have been designated by the US Attorney’s Office (USAO) as Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Districts. Of the 639 shooting incidents and 161 homicides recorded through April 1, 2022, 340 shootings and 82 homicides have occurred in the PSN Districts. Located on the city's South and West sides, these Districts account for more crime than the 15 other police Districts combined.

National research shows that homicide rates increased by an unprecedented 20% in 2020, with the trend appearing to continue in 2021 for Chicago. Through April 2022, while our overall crime numbers are down, Chicago has recorded more homicides than New York or Los Angeles. Our records also show that our officers recovered more than 12,000 illegal firearms in 2021. The increase in gun violence can be attributed to numerous factors and may, indirectly be a result of increased public distrust and anger toward the police. What is incontrovertible is that law enforcement needs: more effective tools; improved data and intelligence sharing between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; improved collaboration between all public safety stakeholders to drastically reduce crime guns on the street; and ensure prosecution of gun offenders.

CPD will use FY2022 CGIC Integration Initiative funding to implement the CGIC business practice in seven PSN Districts by enhancing our capacity to produce additional investigative leads and better corroborating physical evidence aimed at strengthening crime gun cases for effective prosecution. To achieve this, funds will be used to fill an operations analyst’s position dedicated to the PSN Districts to assist in the prosecution of CGIC-qualified cases and purchase a comparison microscope to allow the CPD Ballistics Lab to prioritize gun cases from the PSN Districts and develop more timely NIBIN Leads/BIA Alerts for investigators. Meanwhile, grant funds will also be used for investigative overtime to support case investigations and prosecution.