CITY OF CHICAGO UNVEILS COMPREHENSIVE SUMMER SAFETY PLAN

CITY OF CHICAGO UNVEILS COMPREHENSIVE SUMMER SAFETY PLAN

CHICAGO - The City of Chicago announced a groundbreaking summer safety plan, underscored by a $100 million investment from the FY24 budget. This comprehensive strategy focuses on anti-violence programming, strategic CPD deployments and strengthened investigations, restorative justice, re-entry services, and domestic and gender-based violence prevention and intervention - all aimed at enhancing community safety and well-being.

"Today marks a significant step forward in our commitment to community safety and well-being," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Our historic investments and innovative approaches demonstrate our dedication to creating a safer, more equitable Chicago for all residents."

A core part of our comprehensive safety plan is The People’s Plan for Community Safety that was launched last year. A two-pronged strategy will be implemented in priority neighborhoods to address the historic disinvestment by layering investments focused on nourishing the foundations of community.

People-Based: The plan focuses efforts on Chicagoans who are most impacted by historic disinvestment and violence. This includes outreach and intervention with youth and adults of highest promise – members of our community who have been impacted by the repeated cycle of harm due to purposeful disinvestment– as well as support for victims and survivors of violence.

Place-Based: To ensure a safer Chicago for generations to come, the plan focuses on addressing the root causes of violence through long-term, layered investments in key areas: education, economic opportunity, housing, health, community environment, community violence intervention and policing.

Over the past year, the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety has facilitated regular gatherings involving leaders from every City Department and Agency, convening biweekly to analyze community safety data, strategize actions, and coordinate responses. Recently, we've extended this collaboration to include input from community leaders in highly affected areas, aiming to align city support with grassroots efforts. Each department, beyond CPD, has been tasked with identifying its role in violence prevention, spanning from youth programming to street maintenance.

"Our approach to creating safety in our neighborhoods combines the full force of government with community engagement and strategic investments,” said Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood. “By leveraging the strengths of both sectors, we're not only enhancing our rapid response capabilities but also fostering long-term solutions to address systemic challenges. Together, we're committed to ensuring every resident feels safe and supported in their community."

As we approach the summer months, we're committed to holding departments and agencies accountable through these biweekly meetings, adapting strategies collaboratively to address violent incidents and support impacted communities. In response to the ongoing threat of mass shootings and other tragedies, we've launched a cross-sector Rapid Response Team led by the Community Safety Coordination Center (CSCC). This pilot initiative aims to swiftly activate city resources and services following high-acuity incidents, providing comprehensive support to victims, survivors, and affected communities.

A key initiative for violence prevention this summer is the CPD and Community Violence Intervention (CVI) professional understanding initiative that outlines their complimentary but independent roles in increasing safety and reducing violence. Over the past year and a half, CPD and CVI have developed a framework outlining their respective roles in increasing safety and reducing violence, focusing on mutual understanding and efficient communication.

Currently operational in nine Police Districts, including areas with significant CVI presence, the initiative aims to expedite shooting notifications from CPD to CVI partners to prevent future violence. Expansion to three additional geographies this summer—Auburn Gresham, Chatham, Greater Garfield Park, and Englewood—is expected to further enhance the initiative's impact. This collaborative effort underscores our commitment to exploring all avenues for a safer Chicago and securing the necessary resources for this goal.

In our concerted efforts to address and continue to prevent violence in our city, we are employing a multi-faceted approach that utilizes the People's Plan for Community Safety with strategic investments alongside the Police Department's comprehensive public safety plan that focuses on ensuring the safety of all Chicagoans.

The Chicago Police Department has developed a public safety plan for summer that reflects a year-long endeavor to efficiently allocate resources citywide. District commanders and Area Deputy Chiefs have the autonomy to adjust resources in real-time, supported by technology-driven analyses from Strategic Decision Support Centers.

"Everyone in this city, including every family and every child, deserves to enjoy the summer without the fear of violence," said CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling. "Our summer plan is built on a year-long effort to allocate our resources efficiently and make sure each neighborhood across the city has what its residents need to feel and be safe."

Addressing violent crimes remains paramount, with a focus on armed robberies and vehicular hijackings through data-driven deployments and the Citywide Robbery Task Force. Enhanced investigations, supported by intelligence and technology, complement additional resource deployments in key areas like the lakefront, beaches, and the central business district.

For more information on the City of Chicago's comprehensive summer safety plan and initiatives, please visit chicago.gov/communitysafety.

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