Coalition wants a new Chicago Department of Gun Violence Prevention
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Faith leaders and anti violence groups gather to call for a new Chicago Department of Gun Violence Prevention. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Faith leaders, anti-violence groups, and at least two elected officials are calling for the City of Chicago to launch a brand-new Department of Gun Violence Prevention to consolidate efforts on the issue.
Why it matters: The appeal comes during an era of reduced gun violence for Chicago but on the heels of a particularly violent weekend that brought at least 38 shootings and eight fatalities, along with new calls from President Trump to send troops to Chicago.
Driving the news: A coalition that includes the city's new Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Emmanuel Andre, Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st) and anti-violence advocates, including Live Free Illinois, announced the effort Monday morning at City Hall.
What they're saying: "It's time that they consolidate all of the existing resources under one department, so that we can have a long-term strategy to reduce gun violence. The people deserve it," Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, who leads Live Free Illinois, tells Axios.
- "Another issue that we have is every time there's a new mayor, every time there's a new deputy mayor of public safety, the strategy changes, so we're trying to put something concrete in place, so this can become a long-term solution."
Yes, but: Noticeably absent from the Monday press conference were Mayor Brandon Johnson and anybody from the Chicago Police Department.
- CPD referred all questions about the matter to Johnson's office, and the Mayor's office declined to immediately comment.
Zoom in: The group estimates the new department will cost about $100 million and believes the money could come from departments already focused on community safety.
- Bates-Chamberlain tells Axios that Mosley and Ald. Jeanette Taylor will sponsor an ordinance to create and fund the department and they hope to get council approval this year with a launch in 2028.
She is also seeking an executive order to start the department from Johnson, who, she believes, "will be supportive given his commitment to addressing gun violence."
How it works: Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson explained to Axios that while Johnson can create a department by executive order, the next mayor could terminate it.
- "But a department created by ordinance exists under the municipal code, and exists as a matter of full and formal law. It therefore can only be suspended or decommissioned, i.e., shut down, by a majority vote of the City Council itself," he said.
Between the lines: The proposal feels tenuous given that it comes at a delicate time for city finances and public safety personnel.
- The city is staring down an estimated $1.3 billion budget deficit, making it a tough sell to fund a brand-new department, especially in a year when the mayor and the entire City Council have to run to retain their seats.
- Johnson recently and controversially let go of two top public safety officials — including former deputy mayor for public safety Garien Gatewood — just as the city was celebrating historic reductions in violence.
- Rumors have been circulating in recent weeks about the impending resignation of CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling.
What we're watching: Whether or not Johnson and/or any council members turn this appeal into a concrete legislative proposal.