Chicago Police Deploy 1,000 Additional Officers After Looting Downtown

NBC Chicago has the story:

The Chicago Police Department has added 1,000 more officers to city streets following the mass looting in the city's downtown and neighborhoods earlier this week, Supt. David Brown said.

The department also extended Chicago officers' hours and canceled days off, he said, reiterating, "this is our town; it doesn't belong to the criminals."

"Don't let these criminals run you out of this beautiful city," Brown said in a news conference Thursday to detail plans for weekend safety following widespread looting that left many businesses damaged and resulted in more than 100 arrests. "Our department, our police officers will risk their lives to protect you. Not in our town, not in our city."

Brown sent a blunt message to potential weekend looters, warning them that "CPD is going to arrest you" and use various strategies to prevent caravans from coming downtown, including puncturing tires.

"We are going to deploy all tactics necessary to prevent and stop looting," Brown said. "If that means deploying stop strips to puncture your tires if you're caravaning cars to loot. We will disable your cars to prevent the caravan and we will work very hard to do so. If that means deploying tow trucks to impound your cars that are caravaning to loot, CPD will do so. If that means blocking off streets and boxing in caravans of looters, CPD will work to do so."

Access to the city's central business district will remain restricted during overnight hours throughout the weekend, with street closures, bridge lifts, ramp blockages and transit reroutes all expected. Check points will allow only residents and area employees to enter.

The Hill has more on the widespread looting:

According to CPD police spokesman Tom Ahern, widespread looting broke out early Monday morning on Lake Street near Michigan Avenue, with suspects using U-Haul trucks and cargo vans to steal items from businesses in the area.

Afterward, Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) told Time magazine this week the violence and robberies were a result of "organized criminal activity."

Brown was stern in his message Thursday, warning any potential looters that the CPD "is going to arrest you," noting that department would use any means necessary to prevent looters from stealing this weekend.

"We are going to deploy all tactics necessary to prevent and stop looting," Brown added. "That means deploying stop strips to puncture your tires if you're caravaning cars to loot. We will disable your cars to prevent the caravan, and we will work very hard to do so. If that means deploying tow trucks to impound your cars that are caravaning to loot, CPD will do so," Brown said. 

A Black Lives Matter demonstration is also planned for Saturday to block off part of the Dan Ryan Expressway as extended police patrols deploy throughout the city.

The protest was organized by several local groups and is titled "Black Lives Matter March: SHUTDOWN OUR DAN RYAN," a demonstration akin to the historic 2018 anti-violence march that shut down the road two years ago.

Organizers for the peaceful march are reportedly in contact with Illinois State Police to coordinate a "safe route of travel."

Citizens in Chicago don't feel safe anymore.

One has to wonder if there will even be anything left of the city before police are able to regain control.