Chicago Mayor Pledges $36M to ‘Reverse Tide of Violence’

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a plan Thursday to fight the gun violence plaguing the city, pledging $36 million over the next three years for youth mentoring programs. Presenting the plan at Malcolm X College, Emanuel said he would not only be adding more police officers to the force, but also adding gunshot-tracing cameras in certain violence-prone areas. “These cameras will help our officers respond more quickly to shootings, while providing evidence to help identify and convict violent offenders,” he said. The “most important” part of his plan, however, will be in trying to prevent gun violence in high-crime neighborhoods. Promising $8 million to small businesses in a bid to create more jobs, Emanuel said work is “the best anti-crime program.” “Many of these young men are dropouts. They do not have jobs. They do not have hope. They do not see a future. And many of them do not have positive role models in their lives,” he said, describing the young gang members behind much of the gun violence. Another $36 million will go toward mentoring programs meant to keep kids away from gangs and crime. Gun violence in Chicago was at a 20-year high in August, prompting authorities to roll out a massive hiring effort, with nearly 1,000 officers to be added to the force over the next two years.