The countdown is on – out with 2022 and in with the New Year! Celebrations will take place across the city on Saturday – with locals and tourists, alike, participating in the festivities.
To prepare for large crowds, the Chicago Police Department is deploying 1,300 additional officers as the city rings in the New Year."It was one of the things we wanted to do because Navy Pier is so iconic," said Jordan Murphy, who is visiting from Oklahoma."We’ve developed a comprehensive security plan for events at Navy Pier and officers will be visible in all of our retail corridors," said Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown.
"We plan to volunteer to keep people safe. The last time we boarded the trains, one guy gave me a butcher knife, another guy gave me a switchblade, so we talk several people down from hurting people on the trains," said Tio Hardiman, executive director and founder of Violence Interrupters, Inc. "We would like to be part of the solution here with bringing peace to the CTA train systems. It’s about all of us and together we can win in Chicago if we just unify.
In addition to high-traffic areas, CPD is increasing patrols in neighborhoods across the city this weekend.