>>> THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN ILLINOIS HAS PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE INTERACTING WITH GANGS IN CHICAGO.

JUST LAST WEEK , A STREET GANG THAT USE VIOLENCE TO PROTECT ITS DRUG DEALING OPERATIONS FACES 50 YEARS.

WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE ROLE THAT THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PLAYS IN REDUCING VIOLENCE IN THE NORTHERN DISTRICTS OF ILLINOIS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WHAT IS THE ISSUE , WHY HAS IT BEEN SUCH A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT?

>> THAT'S FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

WE HAVE THE VIOLENCE THAT HAS INCREASED IN MORE RECENT YEARS , THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAUSES FOR THAT .

THE VAST MAJORITY OF HOMICIDES ARE RELATED TO GUNS , AND THAT IS BECAUSE GUNS ARE AVAILABLE IN CHICAGO.

YOU HAVE VARIOUS THEFTS, UNLAWFUL PURCHASE .

GUNS HAVE SPIKED MURDER AND VIOLENCE ISSUES SO I THINK THAT PLAYS A LOT INTO IT.

THE GANG MEMBERS ARE QUITE LOCAL , POSTING ABOUT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND IT'S TRUE, THINGS MIGHT BE SETTLED BY FISTICUFFS, BUT NOW AN ARGUMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA MIGHT ESCALATE AND NOW YOU HAVE GONE RETALIATION.

>> SAYS SOMETHING TAKEN FROM SOCIAL MEDIA WITH A GUN ALONG WITH IT.

WHAT ABOUT THE IN-STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS?

WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?

>> WE WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER .

THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS 12,000 POLICE OFFICERS.

WE CAN'T REPLICATE THAT BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN BRING ADDED RESOURCES , ADDED MONEY, ADDED EXPERTISE , ADDED EFFORT .

IF THE LAST 20 YEARS HAS SHOWN ANYTHING, IT CAN'T BE JUST LOCAL AND CAN'T BE JUST STATE.

US WORKING TOGETHER WITH CPD , FBI, DEA, IT IS A COMBINED APPROACH.

ONLY THEN CAN WE BE SUCCESSFUL.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE PROLIFERATION OF GUNS IN THE CITY AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEING A CENTRAL PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE.

WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE TO CRACK DOWN ON DRUG TRAFFICKING AND PREVENTING DRUG -- GUNS FROM ENTERING THE CITY?

>> IT IS SUCH A DEEPLY SEATED PROBLEM.

YES, THERE ARE A LOT OF GUNS BEING TRAFFICKED FROM OTHER STATES THAT HAVE LESS RESTRICTIVE GUN LAWS, BUT A LOT OF THOSE GUNS ARE STOLEN, HERE.

EITHER LAWFULLY OR UNLAWFULLY PURCHASED, WE HAVE A GUN TRAFFICKING STRIKEFORCE.

WE ARE TRYING TO EMPLOY THAT IN NEIGHBORING STATES TO CURB THE INFLUX , WE HAVE UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS , AND OTHER TOOLS TO CHARGE PEOPLE FOUND IN ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF GUNS.

IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM.

>> WE HAVE MENTIONED SOME OF THESE CHICAGO STREET GANGS , AND FACTIONS OF LARGER GANGS THAT HAVE USED VIOLENCE AND MURDER.

WHAT IMPACT DO PROSECUTIONS LIKE THAT HAVE?

>> NUMBER ONE, WE ARE PUTTING BEHIND BARS IN MANY CASES, PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED MULTIPLE ACTS OF MURDER.

WE HAVE MURDERS AND 19 ATTEMPTED MURDERS PROVED AT TRIAL AND FOUND PEOPLE COMPLICIT IN MULTIPLE MURDERS.

THAT SHOWS THE URBAN TRACK RECORD AND SOCIETY'S ROLE, AND THE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY .

I THINK THAT REACHING OUT TO THE FEDERAL -- PEOPLE, THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS INVOLVED, COMPLETELY , PUTTING IN RACKETEERING STATUTES, CARJACKING STATUTES, PROSECUTIONS LIKE THAT ARE IMPORTANT .

>> DO PROSECUTIONS LIKE THAT SEVERELY UNDERCUT PARTICULAR GANGS FROM FUNCTIONING?

>> WITH ONE PROSECUTION, WE TOOK OUT ALL THE KEY MEMBERS OF THAT SET UP , BUT GANGS AREN'T PARTICULARLY PRODIGIOUS AND IN THAT CASE I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT WE TOOK OUT SOME OF THE KEY COMPONENTS AND IT HAS AN EFFECT OF REDUCING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.

>> DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE ANY MAJOR CHANGE IN STRATEGY WITH A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP?

>> I CAN'T SPEAK FOR APRIL, BUT I DO KNOWS THAT SHE IS A LONG TIME MEMBER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SHE WILL CONTINUE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THAT ULTIMATELY WILL BE HER