Rahm visits Englewood and announces shootings dropped 43 percent

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In Englewood, shootings have dropped 43 percent this year – according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel said on Monday. Speaking at the Englewood Police Department headquarters – Rahm noted there had been 130 fewer shootings so far this year compared the same time period in 2016. The 43 percent drop was from Jan. 1-Oct. 16, 2017 compared to the same period in 2016 officials said.

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It had been 8 days leading up the mayor’s announcement where there were no shootings in Englewood. He shared this news while appearing at the station at 1438 W. 63rd St. to celebrate the deployment of 82 additional officers to the district. He was joined by Chicago Police Department officials as well as local pastors, residents, and aldermen.

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“I see a day where we won’t need to measure how few shootings there were in Englewood, but how many graduates, not how few homicides, but how many new businesses,” Emanuel said.

Officials did not how many total officers are now in the district but in April there were 426, the city’s Inspector General said. Ald. Toni Foulkes (16th) said she’s happy to see progress being made in Englewood. She said Englewood is much quieter these days because she doesn’t hear as many sirens.

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“When I first became alderman people said the police don’t come,” she said, continuing that since then, they have established a good working relationship with the community.

“The 7th District has put the community to sleep because you don’t get waken up anymore,” Foulkes said.

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