CHICAGO – Today, the City of Chicago’s Office of Community Safety announced a new, community-led initiative – The People’s Plan for Community Safety – that brings together government, community organizations, philanthropy, youth leaders, faith organizations, researchers and businesses to address historic disinvestment as co-creators of safety. 

“There is a shattered sense of safety in Chicago that has been driven by decades of purposeful disinvestment in our communities," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "It is time for a new community safety approach - one that addresses the root of the problem by investing in our people and neighborhoods to secure a safer Chicago for generations to come. The People's Plan for Community Safety calls upon our entire city, and especially those most impacted by violence, to create solutions together."   

To help build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, the city aims to solve a decades-long problem in a new way. The People’s Plan for Community Safety will protect the people most impacted by violence and prevent future violence through intentional investment. The City of Chicago will tackle the problem in two ways: 

• People-Based: The plan focuses efforts on Chicagoans who are most impacted by historic disinvestment and violence. This includes outreach and intervention with youth and adults of highest promise – members of our community who have been impacted by the repeated cycle of harm due to purposeful disinvestment– as well as support for victims and survivors of violence. 
• Place-Based: To ensure a safer Chicago for generations to come, the plan focuses on addressing the root causes of violence through long-term, layered investments in key areas: education, economic opportunity, housing, health, community environment, community violence intervention and policing. 

“It’s the people that make Chicago a place we are proud to call home, and it's the people of this city who can help us build a stronger, safer Chicago,” said Garien Gatewood, Deputy Mayor of Community Safety. “We are taking a comprehensive, collaborative approach to making our communities safe. A core focus of this plan will be targeting investments in communities feeling the most severe impacts of violence. It’s no surprise that these communities are often those with the highest unemployment, school closures and insufficient housing.” 

This collaborative plan will stress the importance of the full force of government and the whole of community working in concert to build upon the foundations of community safety. The Peoples Plan for Community Safety recognizes that policing is not the sole strategy to bring security to the unique fabric of this city and that safety is the end product of strengthening the foundational elements and anchor institutions that form a community.  

“We are going to continue working hand-in-hand with the Mayor’s Office to improve community safety throughout Chicago,” said Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. “When we partner with critical stakeholders and take a unified approach, we will build a stronger city for the people of Chicago. Our goal is to build trust between police and the people in our communities while prioritizing law enforcement reform, accountability and transparency.”  

As part of a full force of government approach, developing a community safety plan that integrates public health strategies is paramount to developing a plan that further enhances our ability as a city to reduce violence and improve social determinants of health.   

“You cannot talk about community safety without talking about public health solutions,” said Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige, MD, MPH, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “I am confident that when we enhance community-based health resources and health services, we will see results. Through this plan, we are investing in community health workers, expanding the role of health professionals in crisis response, expanding victim services and street outreach programs, and increasing access to behavioral health services such as mental health and substance use." 

Mobilizing the neighborhoods and the full spectrum of community stakeholders will support the full force of government approach with a bottom-up component that will utilize the support, input and resources of our community to assist with the Peoples Plan for Community Safety.

“When it comes to community safety, people on the ground need to have a seat at the table to help find the best solutions,” said The Chicago Community Trust President & CEO Andrea Sáenz. “That is why we’re glad to see the development and implementation of this plan is community-led and includes economic development to ensure holistic and effective results.” 

“The business community takes our responsibility in ensuring community safety seriously. We know that when our communities are safe and secure, businesses have the environment they need to thrive,” said Eric Smith, Vice Chairman, BMO Harris Bank, and Co-Chair of the Civic Committee Public Safety Task Force. “With economic opportunity a key pillar of this plan, the business community is ready to make the intentional investments that will provide long-term upward mobility, make our communities safer and strengthen our businesses.” 

To start, The People’s Plan for Community Safety will focus on the most vulnerable community areas in need of intervention through the pilot program. The City of Chicago will then continue our efforts in block groups to make every community in Chicago safe. For more information about The People’s Plan for Community Safety, please visit chicago.gov/communitysafety. 

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