'Absolutely going to make a difference': Cook Co. Sheriff's Office opens River North command post
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is unveiling a new command post coming to River North.
CBS 2's Mugo Odigwe reported from River North to explain how this is part of a bigger plan to reduce crime in the downtown area.
The new command post is at a building on Clark and Illinois. The hope is that having sheriff's deputies here will serve as a force multiplier for Chicago police who are short-staffed.
"They've actually been using it for about a month now quietly. They were sort of doing a soft opening to try and phase it in, to test out some of the technology that's there and it's ready to go now. It's fully operational."
Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins said there are about 120 sheriff's deputies that will use the new River North space. It will be used on an as-needed basis. While Chicago police maintain jurisdiction, the deputies will provide extra support downtown.
Take this past Saturday night, for example, where a massive crowd created a chaotic scene at Millennium Park. Those deputies can step in and assist Chicago police officers. They'll also focus on retail theft, helping CPD with evidence gathering and working to reduce the number of thefts at downtown stores.
"It's absolutely going to make a difference. It really is," said Ald. Hopkins. "We're down about 2,000 patrol officers in the Chicago Police Department right now. We can't hire, recruit and train them fast enough to make up that deficit. So to have these additional sworn police officers assisting this city is really necessary at this point time."
This isn't new. In fact, for the past five years, the Cook County Sheriff's Office has had a satellite office in Austin.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports the new office in River North will be staffed around the clock.
Cook County Sheriff's Police and Chicago police joined forces for an outdoor rollcall, before patrolling the city's River North neighborhood.
Sheriff Dart says the post has been operating for a few weeks already and It's already made a difference.
"We've been involved with arrests. There's a shooting recently, where one of our officers, just because we were so close where it happened, we were the first one there to actually do the lifesaving part of it with tourniquets and stuff to keep the individual from dying," Dart said.
Cook County Sheriff's Police, Chief of Police Leo Schmitz says, joining forces with Chicago police has made a difference, especially when it comes to carjackings.
"There's a lot of things that you guys don't know are happening. We've been working hand in hand with them on this carjacking task force and a lot of these arrests that you're seeing is a collaborative effort between my police officers and the Chicago police officers," he said.
Dart also says there's a specialized unit that will be helping the homeless in the community to get them the services they need, whether it's mental health services or a house.
