AND BEYOND.
BUT FIRST,  TONIGHT'S TOP STOR.
>> IT COMMUNITY LEADERS.
>> THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A   STRATEGY AROUND POLICING.
YOU   HAVE A COLLABORATION OF  INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMMITTED   TO MAKING SURE THAN THERE'S  ACTIVITY IN CHICAGO.
MAKE NO   MISTAKE ABOUT IT, THAT THIS   ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE IT VERY  CLEAR THAT WE ARE GOING TO  INVEST IN PEOPLE.
>> AND HERE WITH A LOOK AT THE  SAFETY PLANS, ARE WTTW NEWS  REPORTERS, MATHE MAT SHARON.
THEY STARTED WITH POSITIVE  THINGS TO DO OVER THE WEEKEND.
HEATHER, WAS THAT A MESSAGE,  VERSUS STARTING WITH THE  POLICING PLAN.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
BRANDON JOHNSON   WAS ELECTED ON A PLATFORM TO   REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND   THIS WEEKEND IS REALLY THE  FIRST TEST OF THAT PLAN.
AND HE  PUT FORWARD A STRATEGY THAT   EMPHASIZES THINGS TO DO TO KEEP  TROUBLE FROM HAPPENING AS  OPPOSED TO ADDRESSING TROUBLE  ONCE IT HAPPENS.
WHAT WE   TYPICALLY HAVE HEARD AT THESE  PRESS CONFERENCES, WHICH HAS   HAPPENED AS FAR BACK AS I CAN   REMEMBER.
HOW MANY OFFICERS   WILL BE ON THE STREET.
WHERE   THEY'RE GOING TO BE DEPLOYED.
WHAT THEY'LL BE TASKED WITH.
WE  GOT NONE OF THAT TODAY,  HERALDING A NEW APPROACH TO   THIS TYPICALLY VIOLENT WEEKEND.
>> MARKING A SHIFT FOR SURE.
HERE'S WHAT INTERIMPOLICE  SUPERINTENDENT FRED WALLER HAD  TO SAY ABOUT CPD.
>> THIS EVENING OUR SWORN  OFFICERS WILL HAVE ONE REGULAR  DAY OFF CANCELED.
THIS IS A   STANDARD PROCEDURE, AND   OFFICERS WILL RECEIVE OVERTIME   PAY FOR THIS.
>> WILL THERE BE ENOUGH FOR  POLICE OR ENOUGH POLICE FOR THE  HOLIDAY DEPLOYMENTS THIS   HOLIDAY WEEKEND?
>> IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
HE'S   GOING TO HAVE TO CANCEL AT  LEAST ONE DAY OFF FOR ALL OF  THESE.
THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL.
DREW  THE IRE OF THE FRATERNAL ORDER   OF POLICE.
WALLER, THOUGH.
HE'S  THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.
NOT  GOING TO BE THE HEAD OF THE  DEPARTMENT FOREVER.
PERMANENT   REPLACEMENT WILL BE FOUND IN   THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UNCLEAR GOING FORWARD IF THIS  WILL BE THE STRATEGY GOING  FORWARD ON THESE HOLIDAYS.
>> GOVERNOR PRITZKER SAYING  THERE HAS BEEN SOME MOVING  FORWARD.
>> WELL, SIMPLY PUT, THE STATE  HAS ESSENTIALLY LEFTOVER MONEY  FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
AND  THIS IS PART OF THE  ANTI-VIOLENCE STRATEGY, THAT   THE GOVERNOR IS ALL IN ON.
BECAUSE HE AGREES WITH BRANDON  JOHNSON THAT TO PREVENT  VIOLENCE, YOU HAVE TO DO MORE  THAN JUST HELP PEOPLE.
NOW,   THESE, SO-CALLED PEACEKEEPERS  ARE TRAINED IN MEDIATION.
AND   THEY ARE GOING TO TRY TO  PREVENT RETALIATORY CYCLES OF  VIOLENCE, WHICH CAN SOMETIMES  TAKE ROUTE ON WEEKENDS, WHERE  EVERYBODY IS OUT, ENJOYING THE  WARM WEATHER.
IMPORTANT TO  NOTE, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S  GOING TO GET MUCH ABOVE 70   DEGREES.
SO PERHAPS THE MAYOR   AND THE GOVERNOR HAVE MOTHER   NATURE WORKING IN THEIR FAVOR   AS WELL.
>> WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THESE  30 PEOPLE AND WHERE THEY WERE  TRAINED?
>> AS HEATHER SAID.
THESE   PEACEKEEPERS ARE TRAINED  THROUGH DEESCALATION  INTERRUPTION.
THEY'RE GOING TO   GO THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS, AND   TRY TO HELP SECURE THOSE   SCENES.
THESE PEACEKEEPERS WERE  SENT FROM PRITZKER, NOT FROM  JOHNSON.
AND IT'S WHERE   OFFICIALS ARE LEANING ON   STRATEGIES, BESIDES JUST THE   POLICE DEPARTMENT, TO TRY TO   KEEP VIOLENCE DOWN OVER THE   HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
>> 253 GRASS ROOTS GROUPS WILL  RECEIVE $255 MILLION.
HEATHER,   HOW WILL THIS INVESTMENT HELP   OVER THIS WEEKEND?
>> THE IDEA IS TO GIVE PEOPLE  THINGS TO DO THAT PREVENTS THEM  FROM MAKING BAD DECISIONS OR  GETTING SORT OF WRAPPED UP IN  TROUBLE.
THE IDEA IS THAT   INSTEAD OF JUST SORT OF, YOU   KNOW, HANGING OUT WITH YOUR   FRIENDS AND MAYBE SORT OF   GETTING INTO AN ALTERCATION  WITH OTHER PEOPLE, YOU'RE GOING  TO BE AT A BARBECUE, WHERE  YOU'RE HAVING FUN, AND DANCING  AND LISTENING TO MUSIC.
YOU'RE  DOING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT   NECESSARILY GOING TO LEAD TO A  PROBLEM.
THAT IS THE STRATEGY.
SO WE HEARD THE MAYOR TALK A   LOT ABOUT BARBECUES AND SORT OF  BLOCK PARTIES AND THAT SORT OF  THING.
THE QUESTION IS, CAN   THEY SCALE THOSE SORT OF   EVENTS, WHICH WILL HAVE TO   HAPPEN ON SORT OF A  BLOCK-BY-BLOCK BASIS, TO MAKE  SORT OF AN OVERALL DIFFERENCE?
>> AND PAST MEMORIAL DAY  WEEKENDS, WHAT HAVE WE SEEN IN  THE LAST FEW YEARS IN POLICE  STABS OVER THIS PARTICULAR  HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
>> WE ALWAYS HEAR OF OFFICERS  BEING DEPLOYED.
WE DIDN'T HEAR   SO MUCH ABOUT THAT TODAY BUT   IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR OFFICERS   TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE IF NOT   BOTH.
AS FOR VIOLENCE LEVELS.
IT HAS FLUCTUATED IN RECENT  YEARS.
IN 2020, 10 PEOPLE WERE   KILLED AND ABOUT 50 WERE SHOT.
THAT WENT DOWN TO THREE WERE  BEING KILLED IN 2021.
AND THE  POLICE DEPARTMENT TOUTED THAT   AS ONE OF THE SAFEST MEMORIAL   DAY WEEKENDS IN DECADES.
THERE   WERE NINE PEOPLE KILLED AND   ABOUT 50 PEOPLE SHOT ONCE  AGAIN.
>> AND OF COURSE, EVERYBODY IS  HOPING FOR A SAFE MEMORIAL DAY  WEEKEND.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT ON