Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward, talks regularly during Waukegan City Council meetings about the number of reports he receives from the police department of gunshots fired.
Since a Gurnee man was gunned down in Bowen Park on June 6, Turner’s pleas have been getting more attention from his colleagues and Mayor Ann Taylor.
“We’ve got to do something to mitigate this epidemic,” he said.
“People are galvanized by high-profile issues,” Turner added, referring to the Bowen Park homicide. “This shooting was on the North Side. It’s not localized to one part of town.”
Taylor said she believes the Bowen Park shooting alarmed people because so many of them use that park. It brought gun violence closer to home for residents.
“Parks are very personal to people,” the mayor said. “When it happens in a place like this, you wake up to it.”
Turner plans to introduce the potential use of ShotSpotter, an electronic device already in use in North Chicago which instantly lets police know when a gun is fired, during a meeting of the council’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on July 19 at City Hall as one way to help.
The increase in the number of shots fired jumped dramatically in the last few years. Waukegan Police Wayne Walles said in 2019, there were 332 reports of shots fired. That nearly doubled to 602 last year. For the first six months of 2021, the pace continues to climb with 321 so far.
Though Turner recognizes enabling police to more swiftly respond to a report of shots fired is one element of a complex issue, he said it is a start which can prevent some of the crimes committed with guns.
“That’s one less person and one less gun,” he said. “We’re taking a shooter and his gun off the street. It’s a good way for the cops to start making a difference.”
North Chicago Police Chief Laz Perez said his city has used ShotSpotter since September with success. Though the city did not keep statistics on reports of shots fired before then, he said it has reduced the time it takes police to reach the scene of a shooting.
When the device detects a gunshot, it immediately alerts every squad car with the location. Perez said it lets police know the direction so they can enter the area in the safest possible way for the public and themselves. It has removed guns and shooters from the street.
“We’ve had success in gun cases when we’ve found people with guns near the scene,” Perez said. “We’ve been able to make some arrests.”
Though ShotSpotter does not get police to the scene of a shooting before guns are shot, Turner said it gets them there faster, potentially reducing the harm which may be done. First aid can be administered quicker to a victim, and the perpetrator is closer to the scene.
“If it lessens the response time, it lessens the possible loss of life,” he said. “The victim won’t be lying in the street as long.”
Walles said he is familiar with ShotSpotter. He attended meetings when North Chicago examined the idea. He believes it is a way to temporarily reduce gun violence, but a more comprehensive approach is necessary. The problem is nationwide, going far beyond Waukegan.
One of the reasons Walles said the reports of shots fired nearly doubled in 2020 may be related to the coronavirus pandemic. People were isolated and unemployment rapidly increased. Social and emotional issues became more intense. The community needs to be involved in the solution.
“The entire community has to come together,” he said. “Governmental groups, private groups, faith-based groups, social service agencies, all have to come together to grapple with this problem.”
Taylor both looks forward to examining the potential of ShotSpotter and shares Walles’ belief about a communitywide approach. It starts with families helping each other and expands from there.
“I believe it takes a village,” the mayor said. “We all have to step up. We have to teach children about the consequences. A gun comes out like it is a toy. They don’t understand the consequences of what can happen.”
President Joe Biden has talked about confiscating illegal guns. Both Walles and Perez said it is something their departments try to pursue. Municipalities work together to learn about illegal guns and get them off the street.
“We work with other law enforcement agencies to assist each other in terms of harm reduction,” Walles said.
