CHICAGO (WBBM)  -- The Chicago Police Department says this past weekend was less violent in the city than the previous weekend. Half as many shootings and half as many gun-related killings. 

WBBM’s Bernie Tafoya reports.

Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond says there were 18 total shootings in the city this past weekend resulting in three deaths plus one person stabbed to death compared to 36 shootings and seven deaths the weekend before. 

She says what made the figure so lopsided the weekend before was that, 19 of the weekend's 36 total shootings happened on that Friday night alone in two gang hot zones.

"You can’t judge success in one or two weekends," Bond said. She adds that the bottom line is that "there were still victims of violent crime and we have to do our best in seeking solutions to make our community safer."

The police department deployed specialized units like SWAT teams to some of the most violent neighborhoods this past weekend. It's something the department normally does during the summer after Memorial Day.
 
Violence the weekend before last triggered the the department to move up those plans.