Mayor Emanuel Monday announced a new initiative between the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the Department of Buildings that will help the city identify, secure, and in some cases demolish vacant buildings, to stop gangs from using these buildings as gathering places and centers for illegal activity.

The CPD and the Department of Buildings will work together to demolish and secure vacant buildings that serve as hubs for violence and hives of gang activity. The Department of Buildings will evaluate and if applicable use necessary authority to expedite demolitions or securing of the buildings. This will create a system in which buildings are prioritized for emergency demo based not only on their structural stability but also their status as a gang haven.

Department of Buildings will dedicate $4 million to demolish or board and secure vacant buildings that are on CPD watch lists because they are sites where gang members and criminals are repeatedly found. 200 vacant buildings have been identified for possible demolition because of structural instability and location in high crime areas. The Department of Buildings will also board and secure properties that are gang havens but are structurally sound and can be eventually put to good use, determined through increased coordination between the Department of Buildings and the CPD.

The initial focus of this plan will be in the 7th, 11th, 3rd, 8th, and 10th districts but can be modified upon CPD’s priorities. The vacant building crackdown is complemented by the City’s recent crackdown on liquor stores and convenience stores that have been used by gangs as hangouts and centers for illegal activity.