City of Chicago to Conduct a Public Safety Drill in the Central Business District on Thursday, August 27, 6-9 p.m.

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Alderman Reilly Reports  8/26/2020

Dear Neighbors,

As many of you know, ‘Shutdown the Magnificent Mile – Black Lives Matter,’ is a planned protest set to occur on Saturday, August 29 at 5:00pm. My office has received a number of inquiries from residents and Property Managers about this event. At this point in time, the Chicago Police Department has indicated there is no significant, actionable intelligence that this will be a large gathering, according to open-source social media.

Please note that, while this protest is scheduled to occur in the 42nd Ward, Aldermanic approval is not required for these types of demonstrations, as the right to peaceful protests is protected by the First Amendment.

In an abundance of caution, City agencies and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) will be relying upon its all-hands-on-deck neighborhood protection plan. CPD will be implementing other strategies to protect the area as needed and plan to have high visibility with hundreds of officers downtown starting Thursday night. Details regarding the five core strategies are below.

Rapid and Agile Resource Deployment

In the event it is needed, the Department will deploy officers from the impacted District, the Critical Incident Response Team, and the Community Safety team to the affected location. Each officer will be given a specific block to protect.

Additionally, City resources – including Streets and Sanitation vehicles – will be mobilized to assist CPD in maintaining control of the area through tactics such as traffic control. These resource deployments will ensure CPD has adequate coverage to protect businesses and residents.

Stronger Community Partnerships

In an effort to leverage neighborhood leadership, CPD’s Community Policing team is partnering with local community, faith-based and business leaders to conduct weekly operation meetings to improve public-private coordination and further prepare for potential incidents. This effort will also include full integration of the business community in the Office of Emergency Management and Communications’ Summer Operations Center.

Additionally, CPD will engage in more proactive communications with not only businesses but also with communities to ensure that they have up-to-date information on potential threats so that they are positioned to discourage and prevent such activity.

Enhanced Use of Technology and Data Analytics

CPD’s Crime Prevention and Information Center (CPIC) has formed a specialized twenty person team to focus on around-the-clock robust review of open source social media activity that could indicate plans for looting. This will include ongoing key term searches as well as review of relevant pages or accounts that have been used to organize such activity previously.

This proactive monitoring will provide crucial intel so that CPD is aware of planned activity at the earliest time possible and can appropriately respond and shut it down.

Robust Legal Action

If other looting actions occur, CPD has created a partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department has formed a special Task Force of Detectives to specifically manage looting cases to ensure that those who loot are held accountable. This Task Force is already reviewing video camera footage and other evidence to identify perpetrators and develop strong cases against them.

More than 100 people have been arrested since earlier this month and the Task Force continues to identify and arrest individuals involved. The Task Force on looting will work in close partnership with the CCSAO to ensure that individuals are held accountable for their actions. CCSAO has offered their assistance to ensure that CPD is able to bring appropriate charges and are fully prosecuted.

Illinois State Police will be deployed to shut down areas of access to the city in an emergency, and Cook County Sheriff will be immediately deployed to neighborhoods to assist in violence reduction efforts.

Furthermore, the Mayor’s Office is drafting a new looting ordinance for consideration at the September City Council meeting which will create a new municipal citation providing CPD much greater flexibility in prosecuting cases and in confiscating cars and other tools used in acts of looting.

Integrated and Faster Approach to Geographic Lockdowns

CPD is actively partnering with city agencies to deploy new and enhanced ways to shut down geographies—including parts of the downtown core—in the event of another looting incident. These tactics include blocking and disabling vehicles as well as creating new hardened cityscapes (such as bollards and improved concrete structures) to limit movement.

Residents may notice some of these precautionary actions already in place. Concrete barricades and other deterrents will be placed around the downtown area that can be easily moved by the City to block streets if needed. The City will be practicing these strategies around the City beginning this week and through the summer.

Additionally, the City continues to deploy more than 100 infrastructure assets from the Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) and the Department of Water Management (DWM), who are working in concert with the Chicago Police Department to protect local commercial corridors.

I encourage residents to plan ahead if you will be traveling in the area on Saturday and stay tuned to Reilly Reports for more information. To receive emergency alerts for updates on street closures and public transportation, subscribe to Chicago’s text or email alert system at NotifyChicago.org or follow OEMC on Facebook and Twitter.

Sincerely,

Brendan Reilly

President Pro Tempore

Alderman, 42nd Ward

8/26/2020 Alderman Brian Hopkins

Dear Neighbors,

The Chicago Police Department continues to follow reports of potential protest activity on the Magnificent Mile for this Saturday afternoon and evening, August 29th. While these details are not specific, the city continues to plan accordingly to prepare for any contingency. The Chicago Police Department will maintain a safety perimeter to protect local businesses and residential buildings if illegal activity occurs.

If needed, Chicago Police Department Tactical Teams, Critical Incident Response Teams, and Community Safety Teams will be immediately deployed to guard against any potential looting in the area. Additional resources will be available from the Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Government.

The Chicago Police Department continues to utilize its new 20-person social media team to review online information relating to groups of people trying to plan any criminal acts.

At this time, there are not any calls for businesses to close early or for any impactful downtown restrictions. Retailers are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by texting CHIBIZ to 67283 to receive targeted zip code alerts if restrictions are put in place.

Residents should carry a photo ID at all times. Property managers in the area are asked to remind the door staff to call 911 immediately to report unusual events. All properties with cameras should set them for high-definition to gather evidence of illegal activities. It’s also essential that someone on staff has password access to the security cameras.

The Chicago Police Department assures my office that each block will remain under close watch. Additional city resources, including large city vehicles, will be mobilized to block or disable cars and trucks if necessary.  New barriers, bollards and concrete structures have been placed to limit movement and maintain traffic patterns.

In partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chicago Police Department has formed a special task force to specifically manage looting cases to ensure that those who loot are held accountable. This task force reviews previously obtained video footage and other evidence to identify perpetrators and develop strong criminal cases against them. While some charges are for felony burglary or looting, other charges of mob action may be applicable. The FBI is also investigating individuals involved in promoting looting efforts online, even tracking online activity back to original perpetrators who encouraged illegal activity that led to some of the recent lootings.

For additional information, please contact:

CAPS contact info:

Contact for any video or other items for Looting Task Force:

Sincerely,

Alderman Brian Hopkins
2nd Ward

The Chicago Police Department has made over 100 arrests related to the August 9 looting incidents so far (such as these arrests on August 11 and August 12), and is seeking help from the pubic as they continue their investigation. The effect on the business community and local residents is discussed in this interview with CBS 2 News.

The Area 3 Looting Task Force is seeking to identify these individuals in relation to burglary/looting incidents that occurred in the 18th District:

Alderman Hopkins encourages anyone who has videos, photos, or other information on recent looting incidents to email the Looting Task Force at 630lootingtaskforce@chicagopolice.org, submit an anonymous tip to CPDtip.com, or submit a tip to the Chicago FBI Office at http://fbi.gov/chicagotips.

https://home.chicagopolice.org/?utm_source=2nd%20Ward%20Alerts&utm_campaign=bae378d94a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_01_09_37_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a38d3733c-bae378d94a-182594933

City officials joined law enforcement, prosecutorial partners and business and community leaders to announce a new comprehensive plan to further protect Chicago’s commercial corridors, neighborhood businesses and communities. Building on the all-hands-on-deck neighborhood protection plan that was launched on Monday morning, the City’s latest strategies are designed to prevent future looting attempts through stronger community partnerships, rapid response deployments, enhanced use of technology, robust legal actions and an integrated approach to geographic lockdowns.

To strengthen the City’s rapid and agile response to looting incidents, the Department will deploy officers from the impacted District, the Critical Incident Response Team, and the Community Safety team to the affected location. Additionally, City resources – including Streets and Sanitation vehicles – will be mobilized to assist CPD in maintaining control of the area through tactics such as traffic control. These resource deployments will ensure CPD has adequate coverage to protect businesses.

As part of new efforts to leverage neighborhood leadership, CPD’s Community Policing team is partnering with local community, faith-based and business leaders to conduct weekly operation meetings to improve public-private coordination and further prepare for potential incidents.

This latest coordination effort will fully integrate the business community in the Office of Emergency Management and Communications’ (OEMC) Summer Operations Center. Additionally, the City continues to deploy more than 100 infrastructure assets from the Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) and the Department of Water Management (DWM), who are working in concert with the Chicago Police Department to protect local commercial corridors.

Reinforcing the Department’s commitment to transparency and accountability at every level, the City is ensuring that all patrol officers and citywide teams in the field, including the Community Safety Team, the Critical Incident Response Team and Summer Mobile, are equipped with body-worn cameras (BWC) starting this weekend. Additionally, starting this weekend, the City has negotiated with its vendor to receive more than 500 additional BWCs to ensure that every CPD officer is equipped at all times.

Furthermore, as part of enhanced efforts to utilize technology, the Department will focus around-the-clock on open-source social media activity that could indicate plans for looting. This will include ongoing key term searches as well as review of relevant pages or accounts that have been used to organize such activity previously.

In partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department has formed a special Task Force of Detectives to specifically manage looting cases to ensure that those who loot are held accountable. This Task Force is already reviewing video camera footage and other evidence to identify perpetrators and develop strong cases against them.

The City is also strengthening partnerships with the Cook County Sheriff, Illinois State Police, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO). The Task Force on looting will work in close partnership with the CCSAO to ensure that individuals are held accountable for their actions. The City is also considering new laws and regulations that would provide CPD greater flexibility in prosecuting cases.

The Illinois State Police will also assist in securing areas impacted by looting by restricting access to affected areas of the city. The City is also partnering with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, who will deploy into neighborhoods and supplement CPD manpower. In addition to law enforcement partners, the City is utilizing its departments and agencies to deploy new and enhanced ways to shut down geographies – including parts of the downtown core – in the event of another looting incident. These tactics include blocking and disabling vehicles as well as creating new hardened cityscapes.

Over the weekend, OEMC will continue to ensure residents have the latest information on any restricted access to the downtown area. To receive emergency alerts for updates on street closures and public transportation, subscribe to Chicago’s text or email alert system at NotifyChicago.org or follow OEMC on Facebook and Twitter.

Source:  Reilly Reports 8/14/2020