VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGIST WANTS TO LEND EXPERTISE

Tio Hardiman has a proven track record of violence prevention in the city of Chicago. It is his hope to bring his new strategy to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Superintendent David Brown. Photo courtesy of Tio Hardiman
Tio Hardiman has a proven track record of violence prevention in the city of Chicago. It is his hope to bring his new strategy to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Superintendent David Brown. Photo courtesy of Tio Hardiman

Violence prevention strategist wants to lend expertise

BY TIA CAROL JONES

Tio Hardiman has a long history of violence prevention in the city of Chicago. In 1999, Hardi- man joined Ceasefire, then created the Violence Interrupters Initiative in 2004 based on his experience with Ceasefire. Now, Hardiman wants to offer his expertise to new Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot Hardiman said the traditional law enforcement strategies are not working, adding he’s not against the police and is all about solutions.

He added the numbers in the city tell a different story. Every year, he said, in Chicago, we experience over 500 homicides and that’s been happening for the last 10 years, according to Hardiman. “If you see it’s not working on a higher level where you’re getting results, it’s time to think outside the box and change books and stop calling plays out of the old textbook,” he said. Hardiman said you cannot arrest your way out of an epidemic of violence in the city of Chicago. Instead, what is needed is new strategies brought to the table.

“We have a new mayor, a new superintendent and it’s time for a new strategy in Chicago,” he said. Hardiman said the only way to stop the killing is to establish personal relationships with some of the people who are shooting. He said, it will allow the shooters to listen to those who tell them to put the guns down or stand down.

Hardiman said he wants to offer the city a restorative justice model, a three-pronged approach. Part of that approach is to bring warring factions to a peace circle and allowing them to talk about what’s hurting them, as a way to heal. “So, therefore, we can begin the healing process of everybody starting to feel a little bit better about themselves,” he said.

Hardiman said the second prong is to meet existing conflicts in the community on a higher level, which means understanding the dynamics of neighborhoods and blocks and communities. He said it is important to get on the front end of beefs, some of which are social media beefs. He said this approach has helped him and his Violence Interrupters who have mediated more than 50 conflicts in the city.

Hardiman said the third prong would be for him to train police officers in conflict resolution and mediation. “So, we can train them to mediate some of these conflicts with these young guys before they end up shooting and killing somebody,” he said.

Hardiman said it’s time to implement strategies in Chicago. He said he would like to see gun violence and homicide numbers reduce to less than 300 each year.

Hardiman said he has 10 Violence Interrupters in communities across the city and he partners with other conflict mediation groups including Englewood First Responders and Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change (ECCS), the latter of which is led by Tyrone Muhammad.

“It’s all about collaborating, so I have a network. Then, I partner with some of the existing violence prevention organizations. It’s very important because the more people you have who can intercept and mediate violence, the better,” he said. “My hope is that I would be able to sit down with the superintendent and the mayor and present my new strategy to them and take a look at the work I’ve been doing.”

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