Lightfoot opens two more detective zones to improve response times

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday announced plans to open two more detective areas to move members of the Chicago Police Department closer to the communities they serve.

The announcement reverses a decision in 2013 to reduce the the number of detectives area from five down to three.

“These two new Areas are a testament to our ‘all-hands-on-deck’ strategy to maximize resources and expand services to touch every community and resident across Chicago,” Lightfoot said in a statement.

In a news conference, Lightfoot said the current configuration of three detective areas delays detectives sometimes up to an hour to reach crime scenes and witnesses.

Breaking up the city into more, smaller detective areas aims to reverse that trend.

The two new detective areas will be equipped with Area Technology Centers, or ATCs, that utilize smart policing technology. Those new ATC are being funded by billionaire Ken Griffin, Lightfoot said.

“Today’s measures are just one more step in building a stronger, more unified and collaborative police department that puts resources and supports directly into the hands of our officers and detectives so they can keep our neighborhoods safe,” Lightfoot said in the statement.