Increased Police Enforcement Leads To Less Violence Over Labor Day Weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police say violence this Labor Day weekend was at the lowest it's been since 2014.
Over the weekend, from 6 p.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Monday, seven people were killed and another 42 others were shot, according to Chicago Police.
First Deputy Supt. Kevin Navarro said an additional 1,300 officers on the street was one factor in helping lower numbers from the 13 killed and 52 shot last year -- a 46 percent drop.
He told reporters at a briefing at police headquarters on Tuesday morning, "this is not a victory, it's progress in the right direction."
Police used their ShotSpotter technology to identify hot spots and deploy more officers to those areas, in addition to executing search warrants and seizing 110 illegal guns.
"We stepped up our enforcement and recovered more guns this holiday weekend than last, with 110 illegal guns seized from city streets," Navarro said.
Among those seized were eight guns, including several military assault-style guns from a former Chicago-area man who now lives in Arkansas.
Police said a four-month investigation found that man has been buying hundreds of guns and selling them to gang members in Chicago over the past five years.
RELATED: 7 Dead, 35 Wounded In Labor Day Weekend Shootings In Chicago
"Six were military-style assault weapons, one was a semi-automatic shotgun, and one was a semi-automatic pistol," said Chief of Organized Crime Anthony Riccio.
The man bought guns online and at gun shows, but didn't put his name on the ownership papers, according to police.
He's to be arraigned in federal court in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon.
1st dep police Supt Kevin Navarro says Chicago had safest Labor Day wknd since '14. @WBBMNewsradio pic.twitter.com/dZxVbgmF6s
— Nancy Harty (@newsnance) September 5, 2017
Many of these same tactics were deployed over Memorial Day weekend without similar results, leading Supt. Navarro unable to explain exactly why they worked this time, but he said it's part of a positive trend.
RELATED: Gun-Runner Bought Guns In Arkansas To Sell To Chicago Gangs
"We are going to use it as a stepping stone to continue the improvement of declines," Navarro said.
Navarro thanked officers for working the holiday and their federal partners in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.