Mayor Brandon Johnson trying to break Chicago's cycle of violence
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After a deadly July Fourth weekend, Mayor Brandon Johnson is upping the city's efforts on violence intervention.
Why it matters: More than 100 people were shot and at least 19 were killed during the long holiday weekend.
Driving the news: Johnson says he's asked the federal government for resources, and he's launching a program that teaches conflict resolution and offers mentoring to young people.
- On Wednesday, local business leaders and philanthropists announced they had raised $100 million to invest in violence intervention.
- A Johnson spokesperson tells Axios that the federal support the city is seeking includes "victim services, family assistance, mental health support for first responders and more."
What they're saying: "We have to invest in the root causes of violence ... because that's ultimately what it's going to take in order for us to build a better, stronger, safer city," Johnson said.
Zoom in: Cycle Breakers, announced Tuesday by Johnson and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), is an app/website that connects young people and caregivers to opportunities that could divert them from violence.
- The online resource breaks down activities based on interests, like music or science, and has a direct link to the 211 hotline, where caregivers can get help.
Zoom out: The mayor has repeatedly pointed to the cycle of disinvestment and poverty as the root cause of violent crime in the city.
- This week he specifically called out past mayoral policies that he says contributed to crime, including closing neighborhood schools, demolishing public housing and underfunding pensions.
Flashback: Last month, the Mayor's Office of Community Safety and CDPH expanded the city's Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund (ESVF) to residents living in one of the 15 neighborhoods where violence is most rampant.
- The Trace reported that the program has approved over 80% of all applications, compensating almost 200 applicants, since it launched last September.
Between the lines: The violence is personal for Johnson, who lives in Austin, where 39 homicides have been recorded this year, according to the Sun-Times.
- "Of course, we hear shots. I'll never forget a time when my children were much younger. There were shots right outside our front door, and I could hear my kids screaming in the other room. My wife and I, we hit the ground, we're crawling to our children's room and just hoping we're not the headline," Johnson said at a press conference this week.