Chicago police on track to recover 6,000th illegal gun

Chicago Police officers are set to recover their 6,000th illegal gun in the coming days.

Supt. Eddie Johnson credited the two-year hiring plan and the department’s investment in technology for the milestone.

Along with the gun recoveries, shootings are down 15 percent, and the city’s murder rate is down 2 percent.

Recovering guns is one facet of reducing the city’s violence, but Johnson also talked about a 34 percent increase in arrests for illegal gun possession, and a 5 percent increase in murder cases.

By this point in time last year, officers recovered 5,740 guns, according to the police department.

Chicago police are also making fewer arrests for nonviolent drug offenses.

“While the efforts of our officers and law enforcement partners are a strong start, we need help from the public to stand up to those pulling the trigger,” Johnson said.