>>> IT HAS BEEN ALMOST TWO YEARS SINCE GOVERNOR PRITZKER SIGNED AN ORDER DECLARING GUN VIOLENCE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IN ILLINOIS.

THIS WAS PART OF THE STATE'S REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM WHICH PUSHES $250 MILLION IN FUNDS TO THE STATE'S HARDEST HIT COMMUNITIES.

THE THREE YEAR INVESTMENT STARTED AT THE END OF 2021 DESIGNED WITH THE INTENTION OF INTERRUPTING AND PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE.

WHAT HAS THIS LOOKED LIKE SO FAR?

TO CHECK IN ON THIS PROGRAM AND GUN VIOLENCE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IS YOLANDA FIELDS RGS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF URBAN MINISTRIES OUT OF EAST GARFIELD PARK AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN SLAUGHTER WHO REPRESENTED THE 27th DISTRICT INCLUDING COMMUNITIES ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

HE WAS THE HOUSE SPONSOR OF THIS REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY ACT.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.

FIRST, REPRESENTATIVE SLAUGHTER, YOU SPONSORED THE BILL.

HOW WAS THIS APPROACHED DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS APPROACHES BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY?

>> FIRST, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ON.

WE ARE EXCITED TO BE THE FIRST GUESTS OF YOUR SAFER CITIES SERIES.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ON.

WE WANTED TO TAKE A BOLD TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH, TO LOOK AT CRIME AND VIOLENCE FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, AND TO LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSES OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE.

SO WHAT THAT MEANT FOR US IS FIRST, WE ESTABLISH A NEW OFFICE, AN OFFICE OF FIREARM PREVENTION.

WHAT WE DID WITH THAT WAS WE WANTED TO COORDINATE ALL OF THE PROGRAMS, SERVICES, RESOURCES AND INITIATIVES OUT OF THE STATE IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT HOW WE PARTNER AND COLLABORATE WITH STATE AGENCIES BUT ALSO IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL WAY, HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH THE CITY.

>> SO YOU HAVE SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE NOW THAT ARE DIRECTING SOME OF THIS?

>> THAT IS CORRECT.

AND YOLANDA FIELDS, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND?

HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE YOU RECEIVED AND WHAT ARE YOU USING IT FOR?

>> WE ARE SLATED TO RECEIVE OVER $700,000 OVER THE THREE YEAR PERIOD.

WE ARE USING IT TO REDUCE HOMICIDES AND SHOOTINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT ISN'T JUST THAT.

IT IS PROVIDING WHOLISTIC SERVICES.

SO THAT MEANS STREET LEVEL INTERVENTION AS WELL AS YOUTH AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT.

>> ALL OF THOSE THINGS TIE IN TOGETHER.

EARLIER TODAY, WE SPOKE WITH PASTOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS WHO CALLED FOR YEARS FOR LAWMAKERS TO DECLARE VIOLENCE AN EPIDEMIC.

HERE IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

>> THE SAME FEVERISH PROCESS THAT OUR GOVERNMENT TOOK WITH COVID, WE NEED TO TAKE THAT SAME ENERGY AS IT RELATES TO VIOLENCE.

WE GOT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TO WHAT THIS IS.

IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT A GUN.

PUT THAT TO THE SIDE.

THERE ARE ENOUGH GUN LEGISLATIONS ON THE BOOKS.

WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT PROPERLY.

WE NEED MASS EDUCATION.

WE NEED WORK SHOPS, WE NEED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WHAT THIS SICKNESS IS, WHAT THIS DISEASE IS.

>> WE SHOULD MENTION THAT REVEREND WILLIAMS LOST HIS OWN SON TO VIOLENCE.

REPRESENTATIVE SLAUGHTER, DOES THIS INITIATIVE REPRESENT THE FEVERISH APPROACH THAT HE IS ASKING FOR?

>> IT MOST DEFINITELY DOES.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO PROI ORATIZE WAS THE ROBUST SERVICES APPROACH.

IT COULD BE JOB TRAINING, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, HIGH RISK INTERVAENGZ SERVICES, CASE MANAGEMENT.

AND ALSO TAKING A SMART APPROACH, TAKING A LOOK AT THE AREAS THAT ARE AT RISK, SOME OF THOSE HOT AREAS NOT JUST AROUND THE CITY BUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE AS WELL.

>> I SHOULD MENTION THAT SOME VIEWERS MAY REMEMBER IN 2014, THERE WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD RECOVERY INITIATIVE THAT HAD ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS AND ENSURE THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING TO GO TO THE WRONG HANDS OR BE WASTED LIKE THAT PROGRAM?

>> IT IS SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.

AT THE CENTER OF THIS IS AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE EMBRACING EMERGING PRACTICES, EMBRACING BEST PRACTICES, AND SO WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ENSURING THAT WE DO GET THOSE RESULTS, THERE IS A ROBUST RESEARCH COMPONENT TO THIS, UIC, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CRIME LAB, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, ALSO CHICAGO STATE WHICH IS MY NECK OF THE WOODS, THEY ARE ALL AT THE TABLE, MAKING SURE THAT WE DO THE RESEARCH AND MEASURE THE SUCCESS AND IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMS.

>> AND WHEN WE SAY TREATING VIOLENCE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN ORGANIZATION LIKE YOURS?

>> I THINK MANY THINGS.

IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.

IT IS TAKING PEOPLE WHO BEST KNOW HOW TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY AND USING PROVEN STRATEGIES TO DO THAT.

WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BEING AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS AFTER SCHOOL, PROVIDING SAFE SPACESES IN THE EVENING HOURS OR WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT STREET LEVEL INTERVENTION OR A FOOD PANTRY THAT CARES FOR THE BASIC NEEDS, A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH MEANS WE ARE INTERESTED IN THE TOTAL COMMUNITY AND THE TOTAL HUMAN BEING.

>> YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT THIS FUNDING HAS PROVIDED FOR.

CAN YOU GET INTO SOME OF THE SPECIFICS HERE?

SOME OF THE THINGS YOU ARE ABLE TO DO NOW THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE OTHERWISE?

>> I THINK WE ARE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE REENTERING THE COMMUNITY.

WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT AND TO SUPPORT WHETHER YOU ARE A VICTIM OR SOMEONE WHO IS ON A PRIFIAL IN THE COMMUNITY AND MARGINALIZED, THIS MONEY ALLOWS US TO MEET THOSE BASIC NEEDS.

>> WE MENTIONED $250 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS ALLOCATED.

HOW MUCH SO FAR HAS GONE OUT AND HOW MUCH TO GO?

>> RIGHT, $250 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS.

THIS REPRESENTS THE LARGEST INVESTMENT IN THE STATE'S HISTORY IN TERMS OF THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORT.

WE HAVE SEEN $120 MILLION COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY PROVIDERS SO FAR.

SO ANOTHER 130 MILLION THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUT THE DOOR.

180 GRANTS HAVE GONE OUT.

34 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES HAVE GONE OUT.

WE HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY.

COMPLIMENTS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ADMINISTRATION AND THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AS WELL.

>> AND YOLANDA, YOU HEARD EARLIER SOME OF THE VIOLENCE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO MAKE INTO THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS TO SEE THAT DROP MUCH MORE OVER THE LONGTERM?

>> YEAH, I THINK WE NEED COMMITTED INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

I LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT CHICAGO IS 77 NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND THE MOST VIOLENCE IS HAPPENING IN ABOUT 22 OF THEM.

14 AND 15 OF THEM ARE SEEING THE MOST VIOLENCE.

IT IS A PROBLEM THAT WE CAN SOLVE WITH INVESTMENT OVER THE LONG HAUL.

WE NEED TO SEE COMMITMENT FROM OUR GOVERNMENT.

>> INVESTMENT AND AS YOU MENTIONED, TARGETED INVESTMENT THAT IS BASED ON RESEARCH AND