Pritzker, Johnson say Peacekeeper Program helped reduce gun violence in Chicago
A new Northwestern University report found a 41% reduction of gun violence rates in Chicago and some Cook County suburbs.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Leaders from several state-funded anti-violence organizations addressed ongoing efforts to curb gun violence in the Chicago area Thursday.
A recent Northwestern University report found a 41% reduction of gun violence rates in Chicago and some Cook County suburbs.
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The Peacekeepers Program, a state-funded anti-violence effort, was made to engage and train residents to de-escalate conflicts.
"State support has made it possible for people at extreme risk of shooting or being shot to be a part of the solution. This is community-driven and community-led violence reduction," said Arne Duncan, founder of Community Violence Intervention organization Chicago CRED.
The group gathered at the Pullman Community Center to showcase what they believe are effective strategies in reducing violent crime.
Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson attended the event.
In various communities across the city, peacekeepers are monitoring known hot spots for violence and trying to intervene before it breaks out. As these groups are looking for continued state funding, they talked about the importance and value of the work they do.
It was a day to smile for Eugene Haley, a Crisis Prevention Response Unit peacekeeper, who works a hot spot in the Austin community, very near Johnson's home.
"If we get worried about there's an incident flaring, or there's a shooter, so anything that's going on in that area, we try to get to the area, assess the situation, find out what's going on and try and rectify the situation," Haley said.
Other Community Violence Intervention organizations such as Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, and Acclivus Chicago celebrated the state-funded anti-violence programs.
"The peacekeepers program was launched out of the sense of urgency and listening to your voices of voices of community residents and leaders," Pritzker said.
The Northwestern study of Peacekeepers work over the past five years suggests their efforts prevented 383 shootings: about seven each month.
Part of the focus of a group called the Crisis Prevention Response Unit is to try and mitigate teen takeovers. One in Streeterville last month resulted in a 15-year-old being shot in the leg.
"We're going out there building rapport, building relationships, to try to understand, how do we mitigate this? How do we stop this as much as possible?" said Sharonda Giles, with CPRU.
CPRU worked to help discourage a planned takeover at Millennium Park. Chicago police were also well-prepared, and the incident never happened.
"Peacekeepers and violence interrupters, you are truly the balm at a time in which our city and our nation needs healing," Johnson said.
The state has invested $34.5 million for Peacekeepers in fiscal year 2025.
"So, when we see the community, and we see the children going to school and see the children having fun, we know we did our job because they don't have to worry about getting shot, just going to school or going to the store or going to the playground," Haley said.
For many of those on the front lines of preventing violence, what keeps them going is knowing they are making an impact in their communities, even if it's sometimes hard to measure.
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