Residents could start seeing Chicago police officers armed with M4 assault rifles as early as next month, five months after the initial announcement, said Chicago’s top cop.
Residents could start seeing Chicago police officers armed with M4 assault rifles as early as next month, five months after the initial announcement, said Chicago’s top cop. About 200 officers have been trained thus far to use the high-powered assault weapons and may hit the streets shortly after Labor Day, police Supt. Jody Weis said at a recent news conference at police headquarters. In April, Mayor Richard M. Daley supported Weis’ decision to step up the visibility of police in high crime areas and to arm the majority of sworn police officers with M4 carbines. Currently, Special Weapons and Tactics officers are the only officers in the police department who carry combat firearms such as M4 carbines and AK-47s; other officers carry handguns. Chicago is not alone in its decision to arm more officers with high-powered assault weapons. The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., will arm 300 of its 3,800 officers with AR-15 assault rifles, similar to M16 and M4-type semi-automatic weapons. ______ Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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