CPD reaches out on far South Side in effort to slow violence

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police officers are in Roseland for a community meeting that they hope will help build bridges between officers and residents that, in turn, can slow the violence in the area.

Residents say there have been at least three shootings just steps away from 115th and Stewart in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood, the most recent of which happened Monday and wounded a 59-year-old man. Officers are holding a community meeting in the street at that corner at 7 p.m., and are there now handing out flyers and trying to spread the word.

Police are calling this initiative Operation Wake-Up, an effort to get neighbors more engaged and encourage a closer relationship between beat officers and the community.

"The residents aren't engaged. They're not encouraged to be engaged in any kind of effort to try to slow this thing down. I know we can't stop violence altogether, but we can slow it down. It's at a ridiculous rate right now," says Roseland resident Jerry Brown.

According to Chicago police crime stats, District Five - which includes part of Roseland - has seen a 40 percent increase in shootings since Jan. 1, 2016 compared to the same time last year.

The rising numbers are a city-wide trend, however, not unique to Roseland or the Fifth District.