Lake County Gazette

Waukegan Police Chief Keith Zupac shed light on the current status of crime in the area during a Sept. 6 City Council meeting.

The meeting was the first one held since Aug. 24 when an officer of the Police Department was involved in a shooting near the 1000 block of Glenn Court that resulted in the death of a young man named Jesus.

“Any time a young person loses their life, it is a tragedy, an absolute tragedy,” Zupac said at the meeting. “But when someone loses their life, unfortunately, at the hands of the police, whether justified or unjustified, it is a tragedy, pure and simple.”

While the department offered condolences to Jesus’ family and friends, Zupac made no mention of the officer involved or any other investigations surrounding the incident.

With regard to local crime, the chief said that there were 468 incidents of shots fired in the city from the beginning of the calendar year up until the beginning of September. This is the same level as in 2021 but over double the level reported in 2017. There have been 53 individuals shot in 44 incidents in 2022. So far this year, officers have seized 183 firearms, which is record pace.

Zupac also spoke about the department’s current recruiting efforts, noting that they have reopened applications and extended the deadline to October. They are seeking applicants, both lateral and beginners, inside and outside of the city.