Local Leaders Call for Designated Gun Violence Prevention Department in Chicago

Some community members and faith leaders believe creating a so-called Department of Gun Violence Prevention could help keep people safe in Chicago.

It would support community-based solutions and ensure the department exists regardless of who is in City Hall.

Father Michael Pfleger, The Chicago Urban League (Chicago, IL) CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson and the city's deputy mayor of public safety, Emmanuel Andre, are part of the coalition spearheaded by Live Free Illinois.

"Ten years from now, whoever the mayor is, or 20 years from now, we want that mayor to also be compelled to support and staff this," Freeman-Wilson said.

This comes after another violent weekend in Chicago; on Friday night, at least 14 people were hurt in a mass shooting in the Princeton Park neighborhood.

Across the city, at least six people were killed in weekend shootings.

With summer in full swing, community and faith leaders want to ensure that more is done to combat violence.

The department would be positioned to help inform policy, identify gaps, analyze trends and support evidence-based strategies that address the root causes and drivers of violence.

"We have the dollars. We know that nearly half of our budget is spent on community safety. We know that half of the budget is spent on intervention," Freeman-Wilson said.

Supporters want at least $100 million to go toward this new department.

"So let us fund peace now, invest in the future, invest in the now, invest in our children," said the Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ.

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