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CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lightfoot said she is more concerned about potential new coronavirus cases this Labor Day weekend than violence and protesting, and is urging residents not to let their guard down.
"My biggest concern relates to COVID-19 and that concern is that people will gather in large groups and ignore the public health guidance," Lightfoot said at a press conference.
She insisted that people play it safe this holiday weekend and continue to practice social distancing, keep gatherings small and avoid being inside. And as always, you should wear a mask, especially with new people you might not trust.
Lightfoot said she has confidence in the police department's planning for the weekend, which includes monitoring social media for signs of organized looting.
Police Superindentent David Brown said all hands will be on deck to ensure the city has a safe holiday weekend, which is usually a time when gun violence increases.
Last year over the Labor Day weekend, 41 people were shot, seven killed, and this year, police are also dealing with the potential threat of looting.
Brown said retail corridors are getting special attention, which includes the use of barricades by city vehicles and officers.
CPD has cancelled regular days off for the holiday weekend and officers are working 12-hour shifts.
For now, he said, the downtown bridges are not being lifted.
"That is a feature that we would like to keep in our hip pocket if we have to, if we get any type of intelligence, but right now we don't have any intelligence lead us to believe there is any planned looting or any type of civil unrest being planned," he said. "But again, we hope for the best, but we plan, obviously, for anything that might go awry."
Bridges have been raised in the past to restrict the movement of people downtown amid protests, looting and civil unrest.