>>> IN SPITE OF THE FACT THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, HOMICIDES IN THE CITY ARE DOWN ACCORDING TO THE STATE A.

HERE WITH A BREAKDOWN OF THAT AND MUCH MORE, TONIGHT WE HAVE HEATHER .

HEATHER, THE NUMBERS ARE OUT.

CHICAGO MURDERS ARE DOWN ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

>> I THINK NATIONWIDE WE ARE SEEING A DECREASE IN CRIME SORT OF AS PEOPLE RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC IN THE PROGRAMS WE KNOW STOP CRIME GET BACK UP AND GOING.

THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO I DON'T THINK ANYBODY COULD DISCOUNT THE IMPACT OF THE TORRENTIAL RAIN AND SORT OF KEEPING PEOPLE AWAY FROM PEOPLE THAT THEY MIGHT BE ANGRY WITH OR FRUSTRATED WITH.

THAT IS WHERE VIOLENCE HAPPENS MANY TIMES.

LET'S BE HONEST, VIOLENCE WE SAW THIS WEEKEND WAS CONCENTRATED WHERE VIOLENCE IS NORMALLY CONCENTRATED.

SO YOU DID NOT HAVE SORT OF A HIGH-PROFILE EVENT DOWNTOWN OR ON THE NORTH SIDE WHICH TYPICALLY TENDS TO MAKE MORE HEADLINES THEN UNFORTUNATELY THE REGULAR VIOLENCE THAT CHICAGO SUFFERS FROM.

>> HERE IS WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID ABOUT POSSIBLE FACTORS FOR A DEADLY BUT NOT RECORD-SETTING VIOLENT WE CAN.

>> A LOT OF LONG-TERM PLANNING WHEN INTO NASCAR OF COURSE.

WE ALWAYS PLAN LONG-TERM FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY.

OF COURSE THE WEATHER BEING WHAT IT WAS FOR NASCAR, I AM SURE THAT KEPT SOME PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS WHO NORMALLY WOULD BE ON THE STREET.

AND WE SEE WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.

>> DESPITE THE 6% DROP IN MURDERS, MASS SHOOTINGS STILL PERSIST.

>> STILL PERSIST.

THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT ADDRESS THAT.

THE ISSUE ARE THE MASS GATHERINGS.

WE SAW THAT IN WILLOWBROOK SEVERAL WEEKS AGO.

NOT JUST A CHICAGO PROBLEM.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS GO TO THESE SORT OF MATH GATHERINGS HAPPENING OUTSIDE AND TRY TO DISPERSE THEM BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE TENSIONS RISE SOMETIMES IN THE EVENING HOURS OR INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.

YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE MASS SHOOTINGS.

ALSO MENTIONED CHICAGO HOMICIDES ARE DOWN BUT NOT AT THE RATE OF OTHER BIG CITIES HAVE FALLEN TOO.

LIKE NEW YORK AND L.A., THEY HAD A SPIKE JUST LIKE CHICAGO DURING COVID, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE BACK DOWN TO WHERE LEVELS HAVE BEEN.

CHICAGO IS INCHING DOWN TOWARD THAT.

CHICAGO IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY DIFFERENT CITY WITH DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THAN THOSE CITIES.

BUT STILL A LONG WAYS TO GO.

>> HEATHER, WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH FOR THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT?

>> THE COMMUNITY COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IS COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE.

THEY HAVE NINE DAYS TO GET THEIR PICS FOR THREE FINALISTS.

THE MAYOR THEN HAS 30 DAYS TO MAKE A PICK.

THE COMMISSION SAID THEY WILL HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING TO ANNOUNCE THE FINALISTS.

THAT MEETING HAS NOT BEEN SCHEDULED.

THERE HAS BEEN REPORTING FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY HAVE NARROWED THE FIELD DOWN TO SIX PEOPLE.

ONLY ONE OF WHOM DOES NOT CURRENTLY WORK FOR THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WE WILL HAVE TO SEE WHICH OF THOSE, IF THEY ARE THE FINALISTS, MAKES THE FINAL CUT.

>> WE HAVE TO SEE IF BRENDA JOHNSON IS GOING TO LIKE ANY OF THE FINALISTS.

THIS IS HIS MOST IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT.

I CAN'T IMAGINE HE'S GOING TO GO WITH SOMEONE HE IS NOT GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH.

IF HE DOESN'T LIKE THEM HE WILL SEND THEM BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD OR, I DON'T THINK I'LL DO THIS, BUT CIRCUMVENT THE PROCESS FOR NOW AND PUT MY GUY IN THERE >> MAY BE NOT SO GREAT.

>> A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MOST OF IT HAS WORKED OUT, CONSIDERING WHAT WE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE CRIME RATE.

ON THE FOURTH PRESIDENT BIDEN CALLED FOR STRICTER GUN CONTROL LIKE THE ONE ILLINOIS HAS AN ACTED IN WAY OF THE HIGHLAND PARK MASS SHOOTING.

>> THERE ARE MULTIPLE CASES IN STATE AND FEDERAL JURISDICTION , THE COURT JUST HEARD SOME ARGUMENT , WHATEVER THEY DECIDE OR THE COURTS DECIDE IT'S GOING TO THE SUPREME COURT IN SOME FORM.

MAYBE THEY GET CONSOLIDATED.

LIES NOT SUPPOSED TO GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL 2024.

WE WILL SEE IF IT GETS ADJUDICATED BY THEN.

PROBABLY NOT.

IN THE INTERIM IT IS UP FOR GRABS.

DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE WOULD BE ANY FEDERAL ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED HOUSE.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, A LONG PROCESS OF JUDICIAL PROCESS AND LEGISLATORS.

>> THE WHEELS TURN SLOWLY SOMETIMES.

>> MEANWHILE MAYOR JOHNSON SAYS IF YOU'RE GOING TO GRADE THE PERFORMANCE OF NASCAR BEFORE MAKING A DECISION, -- DIDN'T SHE SIGNED A THREE-YEAR DEAL?

>> IT IS A THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR TWO MORE YEARS.

WE CAN SEE HER THERE NOW.

BUT THE ISSUE IS THE CONTRACT ALLOWS EITHER THE CITY OR NASCAR TO WALK AWAY, NO QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE END OF DECEMBER, SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE NEXT RACE WOULD TAKE PLACE.

THAT GIVES MAYOR JOHNSON AND POTENTIALLY THE CITY COUNCIL A CHANCE TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT WAS GREAT, WE ENJOYED THE SHOTS OF THE SKYLINE ON THE NATIONAL TELEVISION, BUT THIS IS NOT A GOOD FIT FOR OUR CITY.

THAT GIVES THEM A WAY OUT.

>> I WOULD IMAGINE IT ALSO GIVES THEM LEVERAGE IF THEY WANT TO TRY AND WRESTLE MORE CONCESSIONS FROM NASCAR'S THING YOU NEED TO INVEST MORE IN THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOODS.

ALTHOUGH NASCAR DID SOME OF THAT.

YOU NEED TO FOOT THE BILL MORE FOR POLICE TO FIGURE OUT SECURITY BETTER AND NOT HAVE ARE POLICE OFFICERS WORKING.

AND MAYBE THEY SHOULD DO ANOTHER WEEKEND, NOT A WEEKEND THAT ALREADY USUALLY HAS HOTELS PACKED AND IS USUALLY GOOD FOR TOURISM.

IF THE POINT IS TO INCREASE THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT, MAYBE YOU DO IT ON A WEEKEND THAT DOESN'T TYPICALLY HAVE A LOT OF TOURISM.

>> SPREAD THE WEALTH AND THE BURDEN.

>> I THINK IT'S WORTH MENTIONING IF THE RACE RETURNS OVER THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND, POSTPONED UNTIL LABOR DAY WEEKEND THIS YEAR, SORT OF A STOPGAP MEASURE.

I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED ON THE CITY COUNCIL.

>> I'VE SEEN SO MANY WONDERFUL CONCERTS THROUGH THE YEARS.

STEVIE WONDER.

BE KING.

>> WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

I WANT TO GET TO THIS QUICKLY, ENTIRE SLATE OF THE CHICAGO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

>> A VERY PROGRESSIVE.

ONLY ONE HOLDOVER FROM THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.

CPU FRIENDLY, JOHNSON WAS A CPU ORGANIZER.

WE WILL SEE HOW THEY DEAL WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE THE PRIORITIES OF CPU WITH THE BUDGET REALITIES.