Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Superintendent Eddie Johnson today announced that Chicago Police have recovered over 5,000 illegal guns so far in 2018.

“I commend our officers for doing the difficult and dangerous work of taking more than 5,000 illegal guns off the streets this year,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Every illegal gun recovered means fewer potential senseless shootings, fewer tragedies and less gun violence in our city.”

As Chicago police officers continue their work to reduce violence, they continue to work with federal partners and target the flow of guns throughout the city. As of today, CPD officers have taken more than 5,170 illegal guns off city streets - that's nearly one illegal gun seized every hour of the day and it's more than the New York and Los Angeles Police Departments combined.

"There are far too many guns on the streets of Chicago and the men and women of this department remain committed to creating a culture of accountability to deter individuals from engaging in senseless gun violence," said Superintendent Johnson. "We will continue our efforts to protect neighborhoods and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with community partners who are working towards a safer Chicago.”

Guns were recovered through a combination of field and traffic stops, precision raids, search warrants, and community gun turn-in programs.

The vast majority of guns recovered by CPD are semi-automatic handguns. 163 assault-style weapons have also been recovered, including AK-47 and AR-15 rifles. So far this year, 2,377 individuals have been arrested on gun related charges.

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