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U.S. NEWS Thursday 2 February 2017

Chicago police now using high-tech effort to fight crime

DON BABWIN cides and shootings.
Associated Press Johnson was set to an-
CHICAGO (AP) — The head nounce the initiatives last
of the Chicago Police De- week but had a dizzy spell
partment said Wednesday at the news conference.
that his officers are now He later explained that he
using high-tech strategies had taken blood pressure
and equipment to fight medicine on an empty
crime, an announcement stomach. On Wednesday,
that came as the city’s he talked about how the
police released statistics department has expand-
showing no letup in the ed technology called Shot-
death toll that captured Spotter that’s being used in
the nation’s attention last several major cities to help
year and sparked a Twit- police detect when some-
ter warning last week from one fires a gun. More than
President Donald Trump. 100 sensors were installed
Police Superintendent Ed- in each of the two neigh-
die Johnson demonstrated borhoods. Those sensors
how officers will use soft- have been linked to smart-
ware to almost immediate- phones that the officers
ly learn when and where carry and the computer
someone has fired a gun. screens in their squad cars
At the news conference in — meaning that officers Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks at a news conference Wednesday, Feb.
1, 2017, in Chicago. The Police Department unveiled new high-tech crime-fighting strategies as
a police district considered know within seconds that the city deals with increases in homicides and gang violence. Supt. Johnson also released crime
to be one of the city’s two shots have been fired and figures that show there were 51 homicides during January, or a 1 percent increase over last year.
most violent, Johnson also almost the exact location (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)
showed his audience a where they came from.
computer system that will Jonathan Lewin, deputy man by police who were At the same time, police technology are linked to
help police predict where chief of the department’s able to respond to a shoot- have increased the num- what is called a Strategic
violence might erupt. technology and records ing incident in a yard. They ber of remote-controlled Decision Support Center.
Chicago has been at group, said the results have arrested an armed man cameras in the two neigh- Each of those neighbor-
the center of the debate been encouraging, point- and recovered two spent borhoods. The cameras hoods’ police stations has
about gun violence even ing to a recent arrest of a shell casings. and the gun-detection one.q
before it finished last year
with 762 homicides — a Trump, education top inmates’ reasons for disturbance
total higher than those of
New York and Los Ange- RANDALL CHASE One hostage was released help, and five Department thing that he did. All the
les combined. With a third Associated Press Wednesday afternoon, but of Corrections employees things that he’s doing now.
of those killings occurring SMYRNA, Del. (AP) — In- four remained in custody were taken hostage. We know that the institution
in one neighborhood on mates at a Delaware prison and negotiations were Later, inmates reached is going to change for the
the South Side and one on took five corrections de- ongoing as the evening out to The News Journal in worse.”
the West Side, the depart- partment workers hostage stretched on, authorities Wilmington in two phone That caller said educa-
ment decided to open its Wednesday, a move the said. calls to explain their actions tion for prisoners was the
first two Strategic Decision inmates told a local news- A preliminary investiga- and make demands. Pris- inmates’ priority. They also
Support Centers in those paper was due to con- tion suggests the incident oners funneled the calls to said they want effective
neighborhoods. cerns about their treatment began around 10:30 a.m. the paper with the help of rehabilitation for all prison-
“We are changing the and the leadership of the when a correctional of- one inmate’s fiancee and ers and information about
crime-fighting culture with- United States. ficer inside Building C, another person’s mother. how money is allocated to
in the Chicago Police De- The hostage situation drew which houses over 100 in- The mother told the paper prisons.
partment,” Johnson said, dozens of officers and law mates, radioed for immedi- her son was among the Bratz did not address the
adding that he believes enforcement vehicles to ate assistance, Delaware hostages. phone calls during the news
the technology will lead the James T. Vaughn Cor- State Police spokesman In that call, an inmate said conference or give details
to more arrests of violent rectional Center in Smyrna Sgt. Richard Bratz said at their reasons “for doing about negotiations, which
criminals and thus a reduc- and prompted a statewide a news conference. Oth- what we’re doing” includ- he said were ongoing. He
tion in the number of homi- lockdown of all prisons. er officers responded to ed “Donald Trump. Every- did not take questions.q