Police: Gun recoveries rising in Chicago

CHICAGO — It was another record year for gun confiscations in Chicago.

Police recovered a total of 11,552 firearms, a higher number than in any other recent year.

But it has helped curb street violence?

“It’s not having the impact it should, no,” Eugene Roy, former Chicago Police Chief of Detectives, said.

The number of guns recovered by police has increased each year. But shootings have also climbed, though police data shows the total number of shootings is on pace to decline by 20 percent, compared to last year. However, the number of shootings is still higher than in the years leading up to the pandemic.

WGN Investigates obtained exclusive body-worn camera video, showing how police seized two of this year’s firearms. The footage shows how an officer at a North Side CTA stop notices something suspicious under a man’s shirt and takes action.

Roy says it’s an example of how police need to remain vigilant.

“You cannot back down from gun enforcement,” he says.

Chicago police declined an interview request. In an earlier report, WGN Investigates uncovered possible issues with Chicago Police’s gun recovery figures.