FBI joins Chicago Police on the streets to fight crime

FOX 32 NEWS - The FBI is now joining the Chicago Police Department on the front lines. Agents will be going to the most violent neighborhoods in an effort to stop all the shootings.

On Wednesday, the FBI launched a new video on their website to spread the word that Chicago P.D. isn’t the only place you can turn following a homicide in the city limits.

“We are still doing large criminal enterprises, don’t get me wrong, but we have recognized that this is really a problem area that has existed here for awhile now and until we can stem that tide, we’re gonna need to keep the focus on street crime,” said special agent in charge Michael Anderson of the Chicago FBI office.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson calls the flow of guns into Chicago insane. He says gang members would rather be arrested for a gun than be caught without one on the streets, and that’s why the FBI’s resources will help.

“We get real time intelligence from the FBI that we didn’t get before and that’s very helpful in the crime fighting in Chicago,” said Superintendent Johnson.

How you stop violent offenders has changed with the times. Michael Anderson says decades ago, gangs were more organized, so agents targeted the leaders. That’s not gonna work today.

“But what you’re seeing now, not just in Chicago but elsewhere is a lack of structure, a lack of leadership, so it’s difficult to know who’s in charge.  It’s just more chaotic. You have smaller, criminal conspiracies and you have social media retaliation,” said Anderson.

There is also a move by the FBI to reach kids before they get involved in a gang. Agents are speaking  to students as part of a large scale community outreach.