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(CNN) - The Chicago Police have confiscated more than 10,000 weapons this year, said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.
That is about one gun every 47 minutes.
"There is nothing more dangerous for a police officer than confronting a suspect armed with a gun," Johnson told a news conference on Tuesday. "The tension is high in these scenarios and the risks are even greater."
Last week, a Chicago agent was shot in the head while chasing a bank robber, Johnson said.
"The psychological damage from being involved in a shooting like that is another factor," Johnson said. "These wounds may be harder to see, but they can be just as devastating."
This year's seizures of weapons have already exceeded last year's figures, Johnson said, when the department recovered a total of 9,800 weapons. Chicago police averaged 7,000 arms seizures per year, he said.
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"The truth is that Chicago has a problem with weapons," he said. "What goes hand in hand with violent crime in the city."
Last month, police said Chicago had seen a significant reduction in the number of murders and shootings, with an 11% reduction in shootings.
But the third largest city in the United States still faces challenges, Johnson said during the summer, when 52 people were shot, including 10 fatally, during a weekend.
Part of the solution is in "common sense in gun laws," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
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"Strict laws aimed at reducing the prevalence of illegal weapons must come not only from city and state legislators," he said. "We also need elected officials in neighboring states to take a look at their laws and wonder if by facilitating the purchase of a weapon in Indiana, Wisconsin or Mississippi, they are contributing to the violent crime in Chicago."
Chicago
