Illinois will activate over 30 “peacekeepers” to patrol Chicago for Memorial Day weekend, with Mayor Brandon Johnson leaning on community-centered efforts and activities to maintain public safety.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) launched the new Citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Unit ahead of Memorial Day weekend, a holiday period that historically brings a high level of crime and gun violence to Chicago’s streets. The unit is intended to “prevent violence and address conflict and crises in the City of Chicago.”
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Over the weekend, the unit will deploy “30+ ‘peacekeepers'” to provide “essential assistance in de-escalation, conflict resolution, and crisis support,” the governor’s office announced last week.
“The most important work we do is keeping our communities safe, and this is another important step towards addressing violence and conflict through research-based, community-focused approaches,” Pritzker said in a statement.
He added that the Illinois Department of Human Services “is creatively utilizing their funding to find high-impact solutions to the current problems facing Chicago, and I’m thankful for their hard work heading into the summer months.”
Pritzker said the “peacekeepers” unit will be created using $750,000 in state funds from the Reimagine Public Safety Act, which stems from 2021 legislation that set aside $240 million in state funding to address public safety in Chicago’s neighborhoods with a high rate of gun violence. The current budget year goes through June 30, and former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration left Johnson a projected budget gap of $85 million for his first year — infinitely better than former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s parting gift to Lightfoot after leaving her with an $838 million budget gap in 2019.
The crime response unit could operate until the end of the summer, the governor said. The “peacekeepers” will join other groups of street outreach workers who will be tasked with mediating street conflicts and will be focused on de-escalation over violence.
Crime in Chicago appears to be going down on paper. The numbers for shootings and homicides in Chicago are each down more than 10% through the first four months of 2023 compared to the same time last year, according to the Chicago Police Department. There have been 166 homicides recorded in the city, 814 shootings, and 211 people killed overall as of May 21, according to police data and analysis from the Chicago Tribune.
However, Memorial Day weekend could significantly raise crime numbers, following a trend over the past few years. Last year, city police recorded 50 people shot across Chicago — nine of whom died. In 2021, three people were killed, and 37 were shot.
The creation of the Citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Unit is a signal from both Pritzker and Johnson that they are taking steps to address crime and gun violence, which has seen a steady incline citywide since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020. Both Democrats are known for taking the more holistic approach over the centrist and conservative traditional law enforcement response that Johnson’s mayoral opponent, Paul Vallas, campaigned on.
This holiday will be the first under Johnson’s administration since his inauguration on May 15. He ran his campaign platform on comprehensive criminal justice reform, an approach typical of more progressive Democrats, pledging to focus on addressing homelessness, education, mental health, and empowerment of young Chicagoans to combat crime levels.
“In preparing for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer in Chicago, it is critical that we have as many stakeholders as possible at the table to ensure peace and safety on our city’s streets,” Johnson said in a statement announcing the crisis unit’s launch.
Johnson announced on Thursday that his administration had dolled out $3.5 million in grants to over 250 community organizations for “fun, safe programming and activities” for young Chicagoans throughout the summer months. The funds came from Chicago’s philanthropic and business community committed to finding alternative ways to combat gun violence and enhance public safety, Johnson said.
Johnson said during a press conference on Thursday that the “soul of Chicago” will be on display for residents, families, and visitors during Memorial Day weekend.
He said a “comprehensive, holistic approach to public safety” is his top priority for the weekend so “everyone can enjoy our city in peace.”
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Johnson has also taken traditional steps to address crime. He pledged on the campaign trail to promote 200 detectives with the Chicago Police Department in his first days in office. The department lost several officers in recent years due to battles with Lightfoot’s administration.
The new mayor is tasked with selecting Chicago’s next police superintendent — a chance for the new mayor to make stronger connections with the law enforcement community that overwhelmingly backed Vallas during the 2023 mayoral race.
