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Subscribe to RSSChicago police will try to reduce the city’s growing murder rate by partnering for the first-time with anti-violence group CeaseFire, which trains ex-cons to attack violence as if it were a spreading disease.
Chicago-based CeaseFire, whose “violence interrupters” programs have been replicated and studied in several U.S. cities, as well as in Iraq, will receive $1 million from the Windy City’s Department of Public Health beginning July 13.
CeaseFire previously received state and federal money, but not city funding, the group said.
The partnership was proposed after Memorial Day weekend shootings left 10 dead, pushing the city’s homicide count to 200 for the year, the Chicago Sun-times reported. By June 17, the Sun Times said, the city’s murders were running 38 percent ahead of the same period in 2011.
The new funding will boost the number of CeaseFire program workers in Chicago to about 140, up from 100, Dr. Gary Slutkin, CeaseFire founder, told msnbc.com.
Slutkin last weekend was on a U.S. Conference of Mayors panel with mayors from Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Fresno to encourage other cities to support CeaseFire’s model, which can be seen online in PBS’ “Frontline” documentary “The Interrupters.”
Slutkin, an internal medicine and infectious diseases specialist, said CeaseFire takes a public health approach to public safety.
“Violence has been misunderstood,” Slutkin said. “In the absence of a correct strategy, violence will go up, down or sideways in waves. The only way to predictably reduce it is using methods that interrupt it.”
Violence is perpetuated as people consider it the norm, he warned.
“You get a situation where someone looks at someone’s girlfriend, now the expectation is it’s normal to shoot someone,” he said.
He said CeaseFire tries to intervene with the people who are at highest risk for violence.
Slutkin acknowledged a Sun-Times report that six ex-felons have been arrested while working for CeaseFire. However, he said, it's rare. The program sees just a 1 or 2 percent relapse rate, he said, with only two people out of 600 hired over 12 years having been convicted.
Workers go through intensive training, are hired by panels and are subjected to regular drug tests, Slutkin said.
On the street, they work like disease-control workers.
“What we do is figure out who the people are who are spreading the disease, the people most likely to be shooters,” said Amy Ellenbogen, who directs Save Our Streets Crown Heights, a Brooklyn, N.Y., program replicating CeaseFire and serving about 20,000 residents in a 40-block area.
From an eight-member team, four work as street-outreach counselors, trying to get the people most at risk of committing violence to change their focus, perhaps toward getting a GED or job, she told msnbc.com.
“Street outreach is incredibly important, knowing the players and how to persuade them to make better choices,” Ellenbrogen said.
Another four are the interrupters, who step in to mediate potentially violent situations.
“We’ve mediated over 100 incidences” since the team was hired in February 2010, Ellenbogen said.
Like other public health campaign, the program tries to “change the norms of the community,” which means making gun violence not acceptable.
Merchants have signs in window that count the days since last shooting; pizza boxes at a local parlor carry the words “Stop shooting, start living”; neighborhood posters proclaim, “Don’t shoot, I want to grow up.”
Community meetings are held when a shooting does occur, she said. The number of shooting deaths dropped to 13 last year from 25 the year before in the area served, she said.
May 29: Ceasefire director and University of Illinois/Chicago epidemiologist, Gary Slutkin, featured in NBC's Kevin Tibbles' report, describes his organization's approach to reducing gang violence.
Follow Jim Gold at msnbc.com on Facebook here.
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Leave a Comment:
Good thing they are thinking outside the box, something has got to be done about all the violence
I think trying other strategies can help and hopefully this will.......but most of these shooters have long criminal records to begin with how about actually sentencing the criminals and keeping them off the streets instead of early release, probation and minimal sentences.
Maybe Chicago should consider hiring a Community Organizer.
That ought to hand out more guns to the citizens.
Mark Taft
"Maybe Chicago should consider hiring a Community Organizer."
You've got my vote Mr. Taft...
You don't get it, this is the result of everyone in those neighborhoods having guns already. Like the article said, You look at my girlfriend? I'll shoot you, why? simply, because I have a gun, and the other person might too.
If only they were smart enough to think before using a gun. But then again, look at the education in Chicago, and even more so in those neighborhoods. I see kids selling drugs instead of being in school.
dont stop them....theyre doing just fine shooting each other.Each one is less taxes out of our pockets
STOP THEM???? We should be sending them TRUCKLOADS of depleted uranium teflon-coated hollow-point rounds.
There isn't a city on earth more more deserving of pure death and darkness than the one that brought us barack hussein obama.
Civil Warrior, you just might be the dumbest person alive.
Civil Warrior is still pissed at General Lee for surrendering.
well, all of the gun laws and restrictions are proving that bumper sticker right "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns". BAM.
@rusty And what about all the innocent children that are getting killed as well? Kids have been killed as they sit inside their home watching TV or sleeping on the couch. Another young girl was walking with her blind cousin down the street and was killed. The poor blind girl will be left to remember that for the rest of her life.
So I have to disagree with you. Our police department and other city officials HAVE to do something to stop all this senseless shootings and killings.
If you diss the wrong guy.
You're gonna die.
What a waste of time and money!
Like the Bangers give a Sheet! Good program till one of them get shot. There are parts of Chicago were the cops wont even go.
roc, you are so right. Why would a cop risk his life going into a section of town where he knew he would likely be killed? Not worth $50K a year.
My kind of town.....Chicago is.....
My kind of town.....Chicago is.....
"Aks not whachoo Muthafkkkkkkkkkazs can do fo yo countree"
I'm glad to see them trying SOMETHING. I hope it works.
Reminds me of the fox and the chicken coop.
Maybe Chitcago should build an enormous bulletproof arena, lock all the "bangers" in it, throw out a thousand loaded guns plus lotsa extra ammo, and let 'em go at it. Should greatly reduce the gang population and help clean up the gene pool in Chitcago, which really needs it.
ABSOLUTELY: It's called dueling and the most respectable people used to do it until it was outlawed. I am all in favor of letting these clowns kill each other off under a controlled enviroment. Less children will be killed that way.
You guys are geniuses!! The next reality TV show - dueling!! We have the duelers move into a house, see if they can get along and at the end of the week, they shoot it out if they still hate each other.
Cram a bunch of "undesirable" people in one place and let them die? I swear I've heard that idea before... Some German guy I think...
I would love to hear Don Rickles do a skit on these idiots, now that would be entertainment (although I'm sure our sensitive society would ban the material from getting out....just to hard to take the truth).
Did anyone ever think of making it ILLEGAL to be in a gang? El Salvador did!
Great Idea! But then you would have all those crybabies and bleeding heart org. like Aclu that would claim it would lead to profiling etc. They cant even check to see if they are a citizen or not. Look how they are whining now when a POS minor commits 1st degree murder and put away for life no parole! Claim its inhuman, I say its cleaning out the hood!
Well, that ought to work about as well as making it illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
Or making it illegal to be an illegal immigrant.
Or making Marijuana illegal. Or Prohibition.
The ACLU also protects those kind of "rights".
aclu.org/racial-justice/case-dismissed-against-62-people-orange-county-gang-injunction-case
Being in a gang is protected by the first amendment under the freedom of assembly clause. They no longer are considered legal once they actually do a crime as a group. Which is why Illinois finally included gangs in their RICO act.
LOL...Another one that thinks that prohibition is what caused all the violence in Chicago, Last time I checked Prohibition was repealed 80 years ago and Chicago still has a worse violence problem than during prohibition.
The repeal of prohibition dd not reduce violence, That is a myth, The organized criminal activity that included bootlegging alcohol was and is still prevalent, When prohibition was repealed the bootleggers simply went from bootlegging to hijacking loads of now legal alcoholic beverages, The repeal of prohibition did not eliminate the root problem and that was organized criminal activity, The cost to regulate alcohol is more than the revenue generated by taxing it, The cost to our health system from alcohol is staggering, The cost in human lives from alcohol use/abuse be it from drinking and driving, Domestic violence, Drunken fights, Alcohol related diseases,depression,mixing drugs(both legal and illegal) with alcohol grows every year, We have teen and pre teen alcoholics, We have people who can no longer function is society and become disabled and actually get disability because of alcoholism.
If you want to use personal freedoms as a reason for legalizing marijuana that is fine but you can not use the "It will reduce crime like repealing prohibition did because it did not and will not.
Well stated Lost.
I grew up in that city, a white guy involved with street gangs, and yep hurt other kids and was shot too. A rough cycle in deed. A shame that when you are part of that type of neighborhood, the choices are limited at best. The talk among kids were short lived, "maybe, if I make it to twenty...". I witnessed a lot of pain amongst the anger and saw some intelligent kids wasting away in a self inflicted stupor. (I include myself here too)
These kids deserve better and the answer is simple and yet diffiult in its heavy weight. We have to show these kids/fellow humans that we give a damnnn. They want to be loved and understood and it seems that no one has the spiritual growth or culture in place to show it. I was lucky, not smarter, not more deserving and I could cut my hair, clean up my lingo and make a change. Now my fellow gangbangers of color had a bit more to do but that's another line of discussion.
I hope this program keeps making progress and may God watch over us all.
If the Bangers and thugs etc. were raised by parents that taught discipline, respect, accountability and so on, made them go to school get an education and a job more then likely wouldn't be so bad. But they lay on their backs pumping out kids and play who's your Daddy and bitch when the entitlements are a day late and they are out of crack. Then round up the illegals and deport! They should reform the system, go on welfare with one kid that's all you get paid for period! Have another, to bad no more money. Commit and convicted of a crime while on welfare all entitlements stop! Kids commits a crime no more money for that one! Kid quits school entitlements stop for that one! And on And On.
When a person has been disenfranchised for past mistakes, can't find a job (even if they wanted one), many places will not allow you to rent a place to stay, shunned by community -- even after supposedly paying your debt to society-- you can bet that this causes anger, resentment, fear, and the feelings of retribution. I would really rather work next door to an ex-felon, than worry that he/she is breaking into my home while I'm at work, or waiting to knock me in the head when I get off work. Give people purpose and a future, and yes that will lower the crime rate! Let ex-felons be productive, otherwise they are going to continue to commit crimes just to survive the streets!
and then again...a vast majority of these people CHOOSE to be in a gang, and it is their life...they are PROUD to do what they do, and no, I dont want to live next door to them.
Something has to be done. The gang problem is getting worse by the day. Jessy Jackson is a man with a lot of clout in the Black communities, particularly in Chicago, his home town. Maybe he could join with the Reverand Wright in an attempt to rally support for increased police protection in minority communities.
It is not black on black crime he is worried about.
new movie based on a true story "escape from Chicago". I dont think Snake Pliskin would survive this one.
Lol's Maybe if they were really smart, which I doubt since look at what they have produced in the past. Mafia, Corrupt Politicians, Obama, etc. etc.. They'd use that Grant money to create or develop or use as a loan source for Businesses to come to Chicago. For the real answer to all of this crime across the nation is putting people to work to earn a living instead of selling drugs, robbery, gang warfare over turf etc. etc. etc..but that takes brains and well we know Demoncrats are not to good at that, they are good at chasing businesses away and then giving out free money that they do not have. and point the finger at those evil businesses that they drove away as if it was the businesses fault, yeah their real good at that.....
Really? You think the drug dealers want to work 40+ hours a week and bring home maybe $500? They can sell drugs on their own time and make 10x that easy.
obama should resign and go back to chicago where he can use his masterful community organizing skills to end the violence!.......ROMNEY IN NOVEMBER!
Is it only the non-blacks wanting an end to this? And outlawing gangs would be deemed unconstitutional by criminalizing the assembly clause. Where is our leaders...oh thats right WE DON'T HAVE ANY! Votes do grow on trees, politicians are swinging in the branches to pick them.
Where is all the money from these worhtless programs coming from... oh that's right, I get to see it on Friday when I get my paycheck. This is an absolute waste of TAXPAYER money. Useless social program to try and teach useless individuals not to be common criminals. Perhaps instead of using ex-cons for this, they take the money and fund the police to come in and take out the garbage. Riot shields, full auto assult rifles, but the first step is the leaflet campaign. "Dear criminals, we are coming for you at noon on Saturday. If you are here, you will be shot on site. Leave the decent law abiding citizens of your community alone, or pay the ultimate price" Problem solved in less than one month. Since it is MY money, I should have a say where and how my woney is used.
While a laudable concept, all I see coming out of this is some TAXPAYER supported king-pin, locating and using the BEST of the WORST. You know, the people actually bright enough to NOT get caught.
And they wonder why crime is rampant in the inner cities.
Here is an idea, gather all the gangsters up and give them a free trip to club gitmo for acting like terrorists.
The situation in Chicago is getting way out of hand and trying something is better than nothing and hopefully this stems the tide to a lower level of violence and gets some kids off the streets with a chance at something better. No hope leads to this type of activity which continues in a vicious cycle. I also understand why after dark, the police don't enter and why some tax paying citizens agree that the area should be roped off and let them fend for themselves. If you move some of the families, the crime will just follow. They have to want something better and to change or it is useless. So give them some hope and a chance at change....
Is a 5 second head start sufficient?
I'm tired of spending more and more tax dollars giving losers some "hope and change". WHEN is enough enough?
When it works.
what 4099780
when has it worked for a significant amount of time
It wont work, its broken. A 2 second head start is 2 too many. If we could clone Charles Bronson and bring him back for "Death Wish....killilng fields" that would be nice.
In the sixties the National Guard came, when needed they shot to kill..
It didn t take long at all to stop the B S
that was Daily now he knew how to do things!!!
LOL Daley.
THE PEOPLE of Chicago should ask why their city is more like L.A. than New York why do parts look like a free fire zone.
what does the NYPD do that the Chicago cops don't do. My impression from my many trips indicate 1] not as well trained and 2] the politicans would rather pander to the minority community than back the cops. now I know some minority politicans in New York who are vigillant about abuse but the will throw any constiuent under the bus for bad behavior
MSNBC, the proper word is incidents, not incidences.
illinois man
when have you seen msnbc get a complete story right
MSNBC, the proper word is incidents, not incidences.
This has been going on for years and years and years, and they think they have found a way to stop these killings?? I would bet the farm if I had a farm that Nothing will stop these killings. Whenever it get's Hot in the summer time the south side of chicago get's Crazy.
There are 33,000 gangs in the USA with a membership of 1,400,000 and they are armed and criminal. Being a gang member is another American entitlement. Civilization is going to have the fight of its life when the USA goes bankrupt. Of course all of the above are politically incorrect.
When a few of these anti-crime, community do-gooders get shot, you'll see the whole program dissolve quickly. Self preservation becomes top priorty when faced with armed and dangerous animals. Good luck, chicago. Your going to need lots of it.
I wish people would stop bashing on Chicago. The #1 problem is that we are short 2000 police. 2000. There has been a hiring freeze for a while now because of budget reasons. Our force is overworked and spread thin. I don't know who to blame for that, or why we don't have the budget for police but can afford to keep Lake Shore Drive looking pretty. But I do know that Chicagoans are nice and friendly people and that it is a concentration of some bad apples run wild that is making the city look far worse than it actually is. Get us some more patrols, please. And harsher sentences.
Liberals ain't gonna let that happen Ms Tek
Chicago is on the same path Detroit was 10-15 years ago.