Days after officials touted a slight decrease in crime, Chicago saw its most violent weekend of the year, with 52 people reportedly shot -- including 10 fatally.

The violent spree occurred just days after authorities highlighted a nine percent drop in crime compared to the first five months of 2018.

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Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Monday that Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson ordered targeted patrols in certain areas in response to several gang-related incidents since Friday. Guglielmi says those efforts have netted 18 arrests and 92 seized guns since Friday evening.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said she's considering replacing Johnson, but will not decide until after a more thorough study of the city's problems, according to WGN-TV.

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Guglielmi said police are questioning several people of interest in some of the incidents and detectives have good leads in others. Police have asked anyone with information to contact them.

On Twitter, Guglielmi assailed a program known as I-Bond that allows Cook County offenders to be released on a no-cash bond. The program was implemented in 1982 to address jail overcrowding.

But critics long have said it provides criminals a fast way to get back on the streets.

“Letting gun offenders out on I-Bonds shows there is absolutely no repercussion for carrying illegal guns in Chicago,” Guglielmi tweeted Sunday.

Northwestern University reportedly sent an alert to students and faculty Saturday after several people were shot near the Gold Coast campus.

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Homicide numbers in Chicago had been continuing a downward trend over the last two years. There were more than 200 fewer homicides in 2018 compared with 2016.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.