The commander of Chicago’s crime-ridden Englewood police district was kicked upstairs Monday — and replaced by respected gang enforcement commander Leo Schmitz — as part of a larger plan to stop the bleeding by targeting gangs and drug markets in the two most violent districts.
Together, the Englewood and Harrison districts accounted for 25 percent of the murders and shootings last year and one-third of those incidents during the first two weeks of January.
Police Supt. Garry McCarthy’s decision to replace Anthony Carothers as Englewood District commander comes as no surprise.
The only surprise was it took so long. Lord only knows what secrets Ike is keeping in the federal pokey. And now suddenly, Deputy Chiefs have XO's for their offices? Seriously? We thought McCarthy was streamlining the upper echelon?
- The laser-like focus will include: 48 gang enforcement officers, 24 in each of the two districts; 64 narcotics officers, 32 in each district; 96 patrol officers in the Harrison District currently assigned to the area and other district assignments and 70 patrol officers in the Englewood District.