For a short period, I worked with a community-based gun violence prevention organization that received federal support and state funding through the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. During that time, I saw firsthand how strategic investment in CVI programs can have real impact, providing alternatives to traditional policing.
Since changes at the federal level, there have been immediate consequences for grassroots organizations. When public investment is inconsistent, the most effective community-based programs are often the first to be cut, despite being on the front lines. This step backward forces communities to rely primarily on police intervention — an approach that does not always address root causes and disproportionately impacts Black and brown individuals. Evidence from cities nationwide shows that community-based violence intervention programs reduce violence and build trust.
Here in the city of Kankakee, we are fortunate to have a local Office of Gun Violence Prevention and dedicated nonprofits continuing this work. But long-term impact is not possible without consistent funding or institutional support. When effective programs are forced to scale back or shut down, progress made is put at risk.
If policymakers want safer communities, maintain and expand funding for community-based violence prevention. Community-based solutions work — but only if we fund them.
— MacKenzie M. Cloy, Kankakee
Collaboration to stop crime
Shootings are down in Chicago, and homicides are way down in Chicago. So why do Chicagoans feel unsafe?
I agree with the editorial (“Why we should keep faith with Chicago’s peacekeepers and continue to build accountability,” March 29) that a well-supported police force needs a fair shake in the media. Terry Hillard, police superintendent from 1998 to 2003, and the Chicago Police Department enjoyed tremendous community support. Hillard oversaw a community policing strategy that understood that perception becomes reality. This new strategy recognized that neighborhood fear is not just driven by crimes; it is also driven by neighborhood disorder. The strategy relied heavily on community members, business leaders, religious organizations, and school and park representatives to identify and prioritize crime-and-disorder problems, along with input from the police officers and supervisors responsible for that area. Those community-police meetings still occur throughout the city.
When I attended meetings, community issues were as simple as kids hanging around an abandoned house or an overgrown, trash-filled city property or drivers blowing through stop signs and speeding around parks. The city agencies responsible for boarding up abandoned buildings or clearing city-owned lots or installing speed humps were to prioritize the issues identified by the community-police interactions.
When all city agencies are pulling in the same direction and coordinated effort leads to swift results, I believe Chicagoans will feel heard, seen and safe.
— Michael Dejanovich, formerly Chicago, Crown Point, Indiana
Mayor remains on sidelines
Yet again, downtown Chicago endured another so-called teen takeover in which fights and property damage culminated in the arrest of several people and the hospitalization of others. Media coverage showed passersby fleeing for safety from the chaos, which resembled mob violence.
And yet again, this mayor sits on the sidelines downplaying such violence with his typical rhetoric. Brandon Johnson is expected to seek reelection next year. Now that’s funny.
— Mike Rice, Chicago
Still able to acquire a gun
The outrage over the killing of the Loyola student should not be about whether it was an American citizen or an immigrant who pulled the trigger.
The outrage should be about a Venezuelan person — who escaped poverty and violence, was shipped like an Amazon package from Texas to Chicago, could not read or write, had been earlier shot in the head by criminals in Colombia, had tuberculosis and had an arrest warrant out for him — and he was still able to get a gun. He had no problem getting a gun.
— Susan Haley, Oak Brook
Public schools serve all kids
The Chicago Board of Education is set to vote on Resolution 26-0330-RS1, a necessary stand against the expansion of federal school voucher programs in Illinois. While proponents often frame vouchers as “freedom of choice,” for Chicago’s most vulnerable students — particularly those with special needs — that choice is often an illusion that comes at a high cost.
Public schools are mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to every child. When families accept a voucher for a private institution, they often unknowingly waive these federal civil rights. Unlike our neighborhood public schools, private schools are not legally required to follow a child’s individualized education program (IEP) or provide the specialized therapies and equipment guaranteed in the public system.
Furthermore, private institutions maintain the right to cherry-pick their student body and may deny admission to children with complex disabilities. This creates a two-tiered system in which public funds are siphoned away from the schools that welcome everyone to support institutions that can — and do — discriminate.
As our city continues to advocate for fair state and federal funding, we must protect the integrity of the public system that serves all kids. I urge the Board of Education to vote “yes” on Resolution 26-0330-RS1 and keep public funds in public classrooms.
— Monica Dillon, Chicago
Autonomous cars in Chicago
The recent reporting that Waymo is already mapping Chicago streets before lawmakers have even settled the question of whether autonomous vehicles belong here highlights why Illinois is right to proceed cautiously.
The question Illinois policymakers must answer is not whether this technology holds promise, but whether it is ready for our city streets.
Across the country, autonomous vehicles have been involved in incidents that raise serious concerns, including interfering with emergency responders and failing in complex traffic situations. Federal investigations into these patterns reinforce that the technology is still evolving and not yet proven safe.
Chicago presents one of the most challenging driving environments in the nation. Winter weather, heavy congestion, construction zones, pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles all interact in unpredictable ways. Even experienced human drivers struggle under these conditions. As a traffic safety attorney, I have seen the consequences when safety is treated as secondary to speed.
That is why the legislative debate in Springfield matters. A proposed path to broader deployment assumes a level of readiness that has not been demonstrated in real-world conditions. Legislators should demand independent safety data, not industry assurances, before opening Chicago’s streets to widespread autonomous vehicle deployment.
Public roads should not serve as testing grounds for developing technology. There are safer, more controlled ways to refine these systems before introducing them into dense urban environments.
Illinois has an opportunity to lead not by rushing adoption, but by insisting on accountability, transparency and proven safety first. The people of Chicago deserve nothing less.
Caution here is not resistance to innovation. It is common sense.
— Amy Witherite, traffic safety expert, Witherite Law Group, Chicago
Clerk is holding up RCV
Patrick Hanley’s op-ed (“Ranked choice voting is a better way to make votes count,” March 25) correctly outlines the many advantages of ranked choice voting in multicandidate elections. For these exact reasons, voters in Evanston, Skokie and Oak Park have passed measures adopting RCV for municipal elections.
Unfortunately, Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon has refused to implement the will of the voters in these cities. The nonpartisan good government group Reform for Illinois and the city of Evanston are now engaged in a drawn-out lawsuit over this.
The clerk is arguing, among other things, that home rule municipalities don’t have the right to decide how they choose their elected officials, a position the Illinois Municipal League, the city of Evanston, former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and others disagree with.
It’s frustrating that at a time of national democratic backsliding, Gordon has chosen to fight the clear will of the voters to enact local reforms that could improve their elections and their democracy. I hope she changes her position.
— Galen Burghardt, Evanston
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.