Programs are leading to reduction in Chicago gun violence, leaders say

CHICAGO (WGN) — State and local leaders credit a state-funded anti-violence program with what they say has lead to a significant decline in gun violence in Chicago and throughout Illinois.

Several community organizations focused on anti-violence efforts joined Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker Thursday morning at the Pullman Community Center near East 103rd Street and South Woodlawn Avenue to tout progress made as a result of the Reimagine Public Safety Act.

Pritzker signed the act into law three years ago, creating of the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention. The group is responsible for awarding grants to organizations rooted in helping reduce gun violence, including the Chicago-based Peacekeepers Program. The Peacekeepers’ interventionists are deeply connected to neighborhoods harmed by violence and help mediate before and after crimes occur.

Peacekeepers currently serve 30 communities in Chicago and the Cook County suburbs and more than 200 hotspots. The group, along with other outreach workers, have helped in more than 2,000 mediations and negotiations that have lead to peace, officials said.

According to a Northwestern University report, the efforts in 27 city and eight suburban communities served by the Peacekeepers Program resulted in a 31% reduction in gun violence in 2023 and 2024 compared to the previous two years.

“There is a clear correlation between the work of Peacekeepers and the declines in gun violence at hotspots and their surrounding communities,” said professor Andy Papachristos.

Mayor Johnson said Chicago has seen more than a 23% decrease in homicides so far this year. He’s set a goal of bringing the number of homicides to fewer than 500 this year, a number not reached since 2019.

“It’s not one thing that is causing the decline in violence. I said this when I ran for office and what I’ve been saying since the last 20 months: It’s going to take all of us to build a better, stronger, much safer Chicago.”

James Mitchell once caused trouble on the streets but now works with the Crisis Prevention Response Unit that aims to connect with young people involved in so-called “teen takeover” gatherings.

“We want the kids to come out, but we want them to enjoy it peacefully,” he said.

The Crisis Prevention Response Unit is also funded through the state’s Reimagine Public Safety Act.

“Frankly, the work that you do can’t be done without you, the hard work that you do on the ground every single day,” Pritzker said.

City data indicates that gun violence has declined in six of the last eight years and is down 35% this year.