A girl holding a homemade sign reading 'Stop gun violence' at a peace march

Gun Violence Prevention

We envision a Chicago where gun violence is drastically reduced so that residents can live, work, and go to school safely in their communities.

Gun violence reduction and prevention is critical to the future of Chicago and represents a pressing inequity that must be addressed.

The scope of gun violence in Chicago is enormous. Since 2010, more than 7,600 people have been murdered and more than 41,500 have been shot, far outpacing most other U.S. cities. While this violence affects all Chicagoans, it disproportionately impacts communities of color.

Focus Areas

Icon of equity, three people of different height getting the same view by standing on blocks

Direct Services:

By providing high-risk individuals with therapy, skill-building, and employment supports, direct service programs use street outreach to mediate conflicts and recruit participants and help them build the skills to avoid future conflict.

Icon of a gun crossed out

Gun Policy:

The presence of a gun makes conflict more deadly. By effectively leveraging existing gun policies and proactively identifying new systems-level opportunities to reduce the availability of illegal guns, street violence can be greatly reduced.

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Community Policing:

Trust and legitimacy are essential to effective policing, which in turn is essential to reducing gun violence. By investing in programs that improve community-police relations, we can move toward fairer and more effective policing.

Group of people in work gear and safety vests
Image courtesy of Chicago CRED.
Image courtesy of Dominique Steward.