After a violent weekend that saw seven people fatally shot across Chicago, a coalition of religious and community groups wants the city to create a new Office of Gun Violence Reduction.
The group said supportive alderpersons will introduce an ordinance to establish the office, which would focus on prevention and intervention, have the authority to procure contracts with nonprofits, create a new community advisory council and invest more money in community violence interrupters.
Faith organizations such as Live Free Illinois, Trinity United Church in Christ and Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Church, said the city’s current Office of Community Safety – which handles most of those tasks already – isn’t equipped to do the job.
“The reality is the city has a ghost Office of Community Safety that is inadequately staffed, inadequately funded and not capable of addressing the crisis facing our communities,” said Live Free IL Executive Director Ciera Bates-Chamberlain.
Current Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Andre Emmanuel said he agrees – and so does his boss, Mayor Brandon Johnson.
“What this does is create a stabilized department long term that is not just responding to the whims of today as we battle with sustained issues we’ve been facing for decades,” Emmanuel said.
The push comes as Chicago violence has once again gotten the attention of President Donald Trump – who renewed his calls to send in the feds, saying, “Why isn’t governor Pritzker calling for help? I could make Chicago a safe city in one month…”
Pfleger said the city doesn’t need Trump’s help.
“Just shut up Donald,” Pfleger said. “Just give us the money you took away from gun violence prevention for the city of Chicago and across this country…give the money back now.”
Johnson has touted $100 million toward community violence intervention programs in this year’s budget. Ald. Nick Sposato, of the city’s 38th Ward, said he doesn’t believe the solution is spending more money on the same – if it hasn’t delivered results the leaders are looking for.
“When do we stop sending money to people to help us with stuff and it’s not working?” Sposato said. “We’re shelling all this money out for protection basically, and nothing’s happening.”
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