Shootings at Chicago Gang Members' Funerals Getting 'Out of Control,' Police Say

Chicago-area officials trying to prevent funerals for gang members from turning into shootouts say the issue has gotten so far "out of control" that one cemetery has started hiring off-duty police officers.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart met Thursday with political, religious, and funeral industry leaders to discuss the problem following a funeral procession in December that was marred by gunfire.

"It's getting out of control, it really is," Hillside Police Chief Joseph Lukaszek told FOX 32 . "The gangs just think that it's a safe haven for them and they do whatever they want to do."

Dart – who hopes to come up with proposals ready to be put into action by May – says the shootings have been escalating "over the last 10 to 15 years from where it was not much of a problem… to now it occurs more frequently."

He said that at least one cemetery has been hiring off-duty officers whenever a gang member is set to be buried.