Rockford community takes stand against violence with training sessions

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Rockford is collaborating with local organizations to help prevent violence in the community by hosting training sessions.

The Violence Prevention Coordinating Council held a community training session at the Blackhawk Court Center on Wednesday. The event was organized in partnership with Rockford Promise and Prairie Street Legal, aiming to equip attendees with strategies to exercise their legal rights and address issues non-violently.

“It’s more than just a job. I want to empower people, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Jessica Wilson, a community engagement liaison. “We’re trying to provide them with the knowledge to empower them to be able to rise in an effective way in their community.”

The training session is part of a broader effort to tackle community problems with non-violent solutions. Participants learned various strategies to handle conflicts and assert their legal rights effectively.

Another community training session is scheduled for October 29 at the Northwest Community Center, continuing the initiative to promote peace and empowerment within the community.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.