Lake County law enforcement officials say gun violence down; ‘We are getting illegal guns off the street'

Chicago Tribune

3 days ago

Police departments, prosecutors, social service organizations and others all play a role in the effort to reduce the use of firearms for brutal acts.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Craig Neal believes there is another vital ingredient in the fight — community.
Statistics from the Waukegan and North Chicago police departments, as well as the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, indicate incidents of gun violence are declining. And, in some situations, community members are more willing to give information about gun-related incidents to law enforcement, officials said.
Neal said he was touched at a Boys and Girls Clubs of Lake County event earlier this month focused on preventing gun violence. People told stories about losing loved ones to shootings. It touched him and others in attendance.
'They said, 'They took something from me I can't get back. Gun violence has hurt me,'' Neal said. 'My hope is that more people understand that (so) the community will come together and stop this nonsense.'
Local law enforcement officials and State's Attorney Eric Rinehart are making a push to raise awareness of issues surrounding the impact of the use of guns during Gun Violence Awareness Month in June.
In its proclamation making June Gun Violence Month in Waukegan, the city labeled gun violence an 'epidemic' and a 'public health crisis.' Both Mayor Sam Cunningham and Police Chief Edgar Navarro said at a City Council meeting on June 16 that community involvement is growing.
'You now become de facto police officers,' Cunningham said. 'You become our eyes, our ears. We can't be everywhere, but you can help us out. That car that's not supposed to belong on that block, neighborhood watch. That's how we reduce gun violence.'
Rinehart started his initiative to reduce gun violence in June of 2022. It was about more than enforcement and prosecution. He said his office is now using a three-pronged approach to lowering gun crimes.
'We are holding offenders accountable,' Rinehart said. 'Lake County leads the state in the issuance of firearm protection orders, and we're rethinking the use of community engagement regarding the root causes of gun violence.'
Working for the State's Attorney's Office is a group of peacemakers who can identify with people in the community — particularly young people. Reihart said they are violence interrupters who work with people who may be prone to violence.
'They are reaching out to at-risk youth to decompress situations before the bullets are in the air,' he said.
Both homicides and killings using firearms dropped 30% in Lake County from 2023 to 2024, according to information provided by the State's Attorney's Office. In Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion, the decline was 61% between 2022 and 2024, as were non-fatal injuries from firearms.
Along with the reduction in offenses, Rinehart said his office pushed firearm restraining orders issued by a judge from single digits between 2019 and 2021, to 25 in 2022, 32 in 2023 and 46 last year.
In Waukegan, Neal said in 2022 there were 60 firearm offenses, 36 in 2023, 73 last year and 21 through Monday, which puts the city on pace for 44 this year. In 2023, Waukegan held a gun buyback for $100 per firearm, taking 107 off the street.
'We are getting illegal guns off the street from traffic stops and investigations,' he said.
In addition to homicides, Neal said gun crimes include aggravated battery with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm, armed robbery where a firearm was discharged, armed robbery where there was great bodily harm or death, and aggravated vehicular automobile hijacking of the elderly.
In North Chicago, Police Chief Lazaro Perez said incidents of shots fired have dropped dramatically since the city started using ShotSpotter in late 2020. There were 399 incidents reported in 2022, 251 in 2023 and 96 last year.
'It has helped a lot,' he said. 'The police know immediately where it is. They dispatch themselves to the call. They get information from neighbors, which leads to arrests.'
Opening a substation on 10th Street — the roadway dividing North Chicago and Waukegan — in North Chicago has made a difference in getting the community involved. North Chicago Deputy Police Chief Gary Lunn said it is making a difference in the neighborhood.
'It's building trust and partnership with the community,' Lunn said. 'They're forming watch groups and calling us. They're coming to us.'
Neal said that people who see or hear of criminal activity, including gun use in Waukegan, can use an anonymous tip app that lets a community member make police aware of suspicious activity without disclosing their identity.