On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson delivered remarks at an event on the emergency supplemental victims fund expansion.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00and usher gratitude into our heart. Welcome, Pastor Fred.
00:06Good morning. Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. Father God, we thank you for this
00:11beautiful day that you have blessed us to be alive and alive and well. Thank you for great weather,
00:17but yet in our city, Lord, we know that good weather sometimes brings out bad behavior on
00:22our streets. We need your help. And so God, we come this morning and we lift up to you, our mayor,
00:27our elected officials, that you would give them the wisdom that they need to govern
00:32in a way that's pleasing to you and that's uplifting for the people of Chicago. We thank
00:38you for these great organizations who work relentlessly to change the lives and change
00:43the situations of people in our communities, strengthen them, give them the guidance that
00:48they need. And then finally, Lord, we ask you to bless, to move up and down our streets, to
00:53curb some of this violence, do the things that we cannot do. To us, it looks difficult, but to you,
00:59you can do all things. So give us the strength that we need to continue on and to press towards
01:05a better, safer Chicago. We give you praise in Jesus' name. Amen.
01:15Thank you, Pastor Fred. This morning, I want to invite you to use your imagination.
01:21Imagine having to tuck your kids in bed at night with bullet holes in your window
01:26because your home was a crime scene just hours earlier. Imagine being a working mom and having
01:32to choose between missing a day of pay to go plan your son's funeral, which you don't quite know how
01:39you're going to pay for that. Imagine being the breadwinner of the family, being shot two times
01:45by standing in your front yard while talking to family members, rendering you disabled to be
01:50unable to provide the basic needs for your family during your healing process.
01:57Today, many of us are using our imagination, but each of those scenarios are very real,
02:02shared with me by my victim advocate team members like Jackie Gordon. I am honored and grateful to
02:07Mayor Johnson and his administration for ensuring that organizations like YouCan across the city,
02:14we are able to show up and support victims of gun violence through the city's Emergency
02:19Supplemental Victims Fund to provide an array of services and support. When community violence
02:25strikes, it's usually random and no one is prepared for the consequences that follows.
02:31That is why the Emergency Supplemental Victims Funding is so critically important. We applaud
02:37the mayor and his administration for this commitment to help Chicagoans. YouCan, along
02:42with many of our community partners that are here today, we are responding in real time to
02:46survivors and their families. We are helping them alleviate the immediate financial impacts of fatal
02:53and non-fatal shooting incidents. Consistent with the fund's focus, we personally connect YouCan
03:00with people in North Lawndale community all the way throughout the Chicagoland area to the Roseland
03:06community. We take great pride in being there for people when they need us the most. Whether
03:11it's assisting them with food, medicine, transportation, paying for utilities, loss of
03:17wages, child care, mental health care, helping them select a funeral home, spiritual support,
03:25or relocation, these funds help us show up. YouCan's team is committed to providing the
03:32support to who need it, when they need it, and how they need it. As a part of our support,
03:38we offer a place of healing and solitude right behind me at Patria's Place Healing Garden. This
03:45is a tranquil space for us, for families, youth, that they can come and start the recovery process
03:51and heal. For those reasons and many more, we are so pleased to host today's press conference
03:58and hear more from the mayor about the expansion of these very critical funds.
04:03Now I'd like to introduce YouCan's Alderwoman, who is no stranger to our work and our impact.
04:09Just like YouCan, she shows up and fearlessly advocates for her constituents. She is a genuine
04:15servant leader. She is a partner and a supporter and one of my personal sheroes.
04:19Please welcome 24th Ward Alderwoman Monique Scott.
04:24Good morning. Good morning. And as always, it's always a pleasure to be in front of my community
04:31and to thank the mayor for this, for the services that this supplemental income will provide.
04:39No amount of money can bring back a child or can take the place of a losing a child,
04:47or can take the place of a losing a child. But it's a way of a gratitude to say,
04:54allow us to help, allow the city to help. And I haven't been in those shoes and it's something
05:01that I don't want. But I look into the audience and I see friends that have been impacted by gun
05:05violence just as recently as three months. And so where this is never easy, it's good to have
05:13support. YouCan and any other advocates here and the other victim support services do a great job
05:20with that support. And we want to continue. And I think that in a few minutes, we'll hear the
05:25mayor give us full detail of how this supplemental support can help. And to further ado, allow me to
05:34introduce our mayor, Brandon Johnson. Good morning. Thank you, Old Woman Scott, for your
05:45leadership. Of course, you know, I'm grateful that all of you have decided to join us today
05:52as we as a city expand the Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund.
05:58This fund is ultimately in position to provide relief and assistance to victims of gun violence.
06:05I'm grateful to be joined in this effort by our Deputy Mayor of Community Safety,
06:10Karen Gatewood, Chicago Department of Public Health, Deputy Commissioner Behavioral Health,
06:15Matt Richards, Community Safety Coordination Center Director Greg Martinez, and of course,
06:22the YouCan Executive Director, Hamilton, and members of the community, Kevin Edwards.
06:30Today is a step forward in our effort to achieve long-lasting peace and safety
06:36in all of our neighborhoods throughout the city of Chicago. Most of all, today is a demonstration
06:42of our commitment to investing in people, and of course, providing the support that they need.
06:47The Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund, or the ESVF, was launched in 2022 as a pilot program
06:55initially operating in five community areas. With the help of community-based victim services
07:01organizations who administer the program, who have designated these particular community areas
07:08for survivors and families and victims, we now are in a position to provide $1,500 for funeral
07:15and burial expenses, $1,000 for basic needs and expenses incurred by
07:21a loss or incident of violence, such as medical expenses, mental health care, child care, groceries,
07:27rent, or $1,000 for relocation expenses if a survivor needs a safe move out of their household.
07:37In a time of great loss and trauma, these funds provide much-needed relief and stability
07:41for residents and families. By lifting some of the burdens of victims and survivors,
07:47lifting some of those burdens off their shoulders, we can help them on their path
07:52and journey to full healing. And ultimately, they can be strengthened by those funds,
07:57helping us to prevent repeat incidences of violence, and ultimately, these funds are
08:02in position to contribute to safer communities. In a few months,
08:07we're confident that the work and the investment that we are doing,
08:10we will see better and stronger results. You're going to hear from Kevin Edwards,
08:14a recipient of ESVF, the program, who will share more about the impact this program has had on his
08:20life. And so far, ESVF, this program has provided relief and assistance to over 200 victims and
08:27survivors. But there are so many more who are in need, so many more that are in need of our support,
08:32and that's why we're making this strong commitment today. There's certainly more that we can do.
08:38So today, we are proud to announce an expansion of the ESVF program, from five community areas
08:45to 15 community areas. These 15 community areas, thank you.
08:50These 15 community areas in our city are experiencing high rates of violence, and therefore,
08:57they need the type of stabilizing resources that we can bring as a city.
09:01Community-based victim advocates and victim service organizations like UCANN, UCANN Chicago,
09:09who are hosting us today, are going to be providing the resources that we need to
09:15like UCANN, UCANN Chicago, who are hosting us today, will continue to administer this program,
09:23and they'll do it in the priority communities that we will lay out. The city will dedicate
09:27roughly 10 million dollars to this expansion over the next three years. This is part of our large
09:34and our larger commitment to invest in the people in neighborhoods who are the most adversely
09:38affected by community violence. And through the people's plan of community safety,
09:43we are bringing our entire city together, our entire city together to share the responsibility
09:49of creating safety and maximizing the impact that our efforts can ultimately be used to prevent
09:56and reduce violence. Only by working together and listening to one another and empowering one
10:01another can we achieve our vision for a better, stronger, and safer Chicago. The closing,
10:08collaboration that is on display today, it's evidence of the commitment that I have
10:14to community-based organizations who are managing this program. It's also a commitment
10:20to prioritizing communities that have been starved for decades. You know, the future of our city is
10:26bright. I'm still confident in that. And though my heart grieves, and as we grieve as a city,
10:33the senseless violence that has traumatized families. When a 13-year-old boy is a target,
10:38there's something sick and demented about the mentality of people who are walking through
10:42the streets of Chicago. When a seven-year-old is stepping just outside their home and is gunned down,
10:51it's an indication of the failures of previous administrations
10:55who have been intentional about leaving our communities behind. These same communities
10:59that are experiencing violence, of the communities in which pensions were raided,
11:03and taking dollars away from workers and putting them in the hand of developers
11:07who don't reflect the interests of our communities. These are the same communities
11:11whose schools have been closed, public housing has been shuttered. These are the same communities
11:17in which gross disinvestment has been the prevailing form of politics in this city for
11:21decades. And that is why, that is why we are working hard to bring people together to respond
11:27to this crisis. This crisis did not show up with simply a bullet. This crisis showed up when
11:33previous administrations decided to give up on these communities, and they have demonstrated
11:38and have shown disdain for our people. And so now we are struggling with the aftermath of the
11:44failures of previous administrations who did not recognize the value of our lives. But that day
11:49changes, and those who continue to cause trauma in our city, we will hold you accountable.
11:55But those who recognize that a better, stronger, safer Chicago is achieved through investments and
12:00working together, those are the people that will work together to ensure that families don't have
12:05to rely upon these services. And that the investments that we do make are investments
12:10in their housing, mental health, jobs, public transportation and public education. That is
12:14the work of the people. God bless you all. God bless the greatest city in the world,
12:19the city of Chicago. And with that, I bring to the podium,
12:23our Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, Deputy Mayor Gary Gigwood.
12:32Good morning. Good morning.
12:35Thank you, Mayor Johnson, and thanks to everybody who's out here for joining us today.
12:39As the Mayor mentioned, the People's Plan for Community Safety, we are working to build a
12:43safer Chicago for everyone through purposeful, intentional investments to interrupt and
12:48address acute violence while also eradicating the root causes of harm. I want to pause there
12:53for a second because this is about both and. We can both invest in people and hold folks
12:57accountable, and that is the crux of our work. The plan focuses on those most impacted by violence
13:03through a two-pronged approach, people-based and place-based. In March, we announced the
13:08place-based side of the strategy by sharing four community areas with the 10 Census Block Group
13:13areas of focus. When I say people, I mean interrupting violence and protecting victims
13:18and survivors, as well as young people and adults of highest promise, members of our
13:23communities who've been impacted by repeated cycles of harm. Today, the expansion of the
13:30Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund is a part of our continued commitment to support our victims
13:34and survivors throughout the entire city by offering high-quality, immediate support to
13:39help address the intersectional layers of trauma impacting those who have been harmed and those
13:44who have caused harm. We've heard all of the phrases before, hurt people, hurt people, and most of us
13:50have also heard the corresponding phrase, heal people, heal people. Only by acknowledging and
13:56disrupting cycles of harm can we truly begin to heal people and create safe communities. That's
14:02why I'm pleased to lift up yet another investment from the Mayor and the Mayor's Office of Community
14:06Safety and the Chicago Department of Public Health to disrupt these cycles. A $3 million
14:12request for proposal will be released later this week, lifting up hospital-based violence prevention
14:18because it's not only our victim services work, it's what we're also doing for hospitals. It's how
14:22we wrap our arms around and support people in communities who've been victims of
14:27carnage and crime for far too long. We have to wrap our arms around community members. We have to
14:32wrap our arms around folks who've been victims and survivors. This hospital-based work is yet
14:36another step of the city moving in a direction that we've never done before. We've never invested in
14:41hospital-based violence prevention, and this Mayor is leading us in that direction to do that.
14:45We're excited about what's happening there. We're excited about the opportunities to invest in people.
14:50I encourage all organizations who are interested to help in that work, be on the lookout for the
14:55RFP that will come and the grant opportunities on their website. This investment also emphasizes
15:01what my colleagues from CDPH know too well. Violence is a public health crisis, and we must
15:07treat it accordingly. That means we need everybody to work together. That means if you have an opinion,
15:12we want you to come in with that opinion and help us solve these problems that we see throughout our
15:17city. As the Mayor mentioned, there's not a day in the city that a seven-year-old should lose their
15:22life to senseless violence. That shouldn't happen. We have to hold folks accountable. We have to work
15:27with our partners at the Chicago Police Department, our partners on the ground, and our community
15:32members to help keep people safe. That's the only thing we're focused on, safety. We need to have
15:37sustainable safety, and that can only be achieved by addressing root causes and also addressing
15:43the issues that we see in real time here. I'm excited about the possibilities that we see ahead
15:48as we continue to invest in people and the places that need us the most, and we work together with
15:53our partners. With that, I'd like to turn it over to one of those partners, Matt Richards,
15:57the Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral Health of Chicago Department of Public Health. Matt.
16:05Good morning. Good morning. Mayor, thank you for your leadership. Ms. Hamilton, thank you for
16:10hosting us. I'm Matt Richards. I'm the Deputy Commissioner for Behavioral Health at the Chicago
16:14Department of Public Health. The ESVF, the Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund, is part of CDPH's
16:21overall public health response to the problem of gun violence. In public health, we focus on
16:27prevention. It's prevention, prevention, prevention. Gun violence is one of the leading causes of
16:31preventable death and injury in the United States. It's one of the five primary drivers
16:36of the racial life expectancy gap in Chicago between Black and non-Black Chicagoans. Gun
16:42violence not only directly harms victims, but it sets in place a cascade of negative outcomes for
16:48communities, for family members, for loved ones, for community members. We know that when gun
16:53violence occurs, it affects a child's ability to learn in the community. It increases toxic stress
16:59levels that causes dysregulated stress response, increases risk of cardiovascular disease,
17:05hypertension, increases risk of generalized anxiety disorder. This is why the Department
17:11of Public Health is so focused on prevention. We fund a wide range of evidence-based strategies
17:18through the Mayor's People's Plan for Public Safety that includes community violence intervention
17:22like the services offered here at UCAN, increasing access to substance use disorder treatment,
17:28addressing vacant lots, and improving and creating safe spaces for community members.
17:34At CDPH, we recognize that safety is a basic precondition of human wellness and flourishing.
17:41When we invest in prevention through public education, affordable housing, neighborhood
17:46economic development, we are investing in healthier and longer lives for our people.
17:52This fund is a form of intervention that tries to support families and victims in a moment of
17:57tremendous need. It communicates our city's support and recognition that you are not alone.
18:04When a victim or family experiences the trauma of gun violence, they are dealing with the trauma
18:09and grief that is hard to put to words, and then they have to navigate systems at the same time
18:15to try to get the support that they need. We must support them however we can to help alleviate
18:21these negative impacts so they can grieve and they can work towards emotional healing and wellness.
18:26As the Mayor said, since this pilot launched, we have distributed almost a million dollars
18:31to hundreds of individuals to support the funeral, basic needs, and relocation expenses after they
18:37were affected by this strategy. I'm grateful to Mayor Johnson, I'm grateful to Deputy Mayor
18:42Gatewood, and this administration for supporting the scaling of this important initiative as part
18:47of a holistic plan to increase safety and promote healing in our communities. We are pleased to be
18:52able to expand this program, as the Mayor said, to 10 more neighborhoods and also city-wide for
18:57victims 24 and under. I also want to particularly thank Stephanie Harris, who's been a relentless
19:03advocate for this program. Stephanie's back there. And to the staff of the Community Safety
19:10Coordination Center, who have made this important initiative happen. And with that, I'd like to
19:14introduce my colleague Greg Martinez, who leads the Community Safety Coordination Center. Thanks, Greg.
19:22Hello everybody, my name is Greg Martinez. I'm going to be providing the Spanish remarks here
19:27for folks. So first off, buenos dias. Mi nombre es Gregorio Martinez con el Departamento de Salud
19:34Público de Chicago. Soy el director del Centro de Coordinación de Seguridad Comunitaria.
19:39Es un placer estar aquà esta mañana en la expansión del Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund.
19:44En excepciones del 2022, hemos aprobado cerca de 400 aplicaciones que representan casi 900 dólares
19:52distribuidos a vÃctimas y sus familias. La expansión de Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund incluye un
19:59total de 15 comunidades. Adicionalmente, familias de jóvenes de 24 años o menores han sido vÃctimas
20:07de homicidio en cualquier comunidad de la ciudad también serán elegibles para estos recursos.
20:12Solicitantes elegibles para este programa pueden obtener ayuda financiera para necesidades básicas
20:18y gastos de reubicación. Familias de vÃctimas de homicidio también pueden solicitar ayuda con
20:24gastos funerarios. Muchos individuos y familias son impactados por violencia. Si usted o uno de
20:30sus seres queridos son afectados por violencia, existen servicios de apoyo disponibles hoy.
20:36Les tendemos una invitación para que visiten chicago.gov slash ESVF para conectarse con esos
20:43recursos hoy. Y con eso, es mi honor de presentar a Kevin Edwards. So with this, I want to pass
20:50it on over to one of the recipients of ESVF, Mr. Kevin Edwards.
20:59Morning, my name is Kevin Edwards. The program ESVF helped me. I was a victim of gun violence last year
21:07of June and I didn't know anything about it. And when I was in the hospital, IMVC,
21:13Institution of Nonviolence, they told me about the program and the program helped me. It was a
21:18helpful resource. I needed it. I couldn't walk, couldn't do nothing for like three, four months.
21:23And the program is beneficial and I believe in it and I'm glad that the mayor and everybody is
21:29behind it and I'm 100% with it and I approve it. Thank you again, you all for being here. Thank
21:41you, Kevin, for your bravery. And like Kevin and many other families, of course, we grieve
21:48you all for our condolences, but we also know that we have to put in work, put in the work to
21:53prevent this type of violence from becoming normalized in our communities because it is
21:59not normal. With that, we'll take a few questions. We'll do one question each and a follow-up.
22:07Mr. Mayor, your colleague from CDPH talked about the importance of prevention
22:12and intervention. On a daily basis, what does that look like on the streets of Chicago
22:18and is it working? Well, it's a collaborative approach. We'll just start there. As we've
22:22indicated, our public safety plan is people-driven and it's based upon places. So one of the first
22:29things we had to do was identify where the neglect has been because where the neglect has been is
22:34where violence has been most pervasive. And so not only are we showing up with resources,
22:40those resources are the embodiment of what I call full force of government. It's not just simply a
22:46police strategy, but it's also things as simple as cleaning up vacant lots, abandoned homes that
22:52have been places where violence can breed, right? But it's also making sure that we're building
23:00homes. We're doing that right here in North Lawndale, working with the Alderwoman. There
23:04are vacant lots that have caused some of the disruption that we're going to build affordable
23:10homes on so families can return. You understand what I'm saying? This is a comprehensive,
23:16full force of government. It's not just about having police officers surveil neighborhoods.
23:22It's about making sure that we are surrounding neighborhoods with love. And the best way you
23:25demonstrate love is to invest in people. Isn't it something when you love something you spend
23:29money on it? Trust me, ask my wife of 25 years, I really love her. Thank you. Mayor Johnson, I think
23:39we're curious about whether this was budgeted for where's the money coming from for this?
23:45Well, look, we said from the very beginning of this budget, as you may recall,
23:53we put forth $100 million towards violence prevention. Now, you know, we're very fortunate
24:00that we have Office of Budget Management that, you know, recognizes the importance of
24:06exercising my vision. And so these dollars are, you know, dollars that,
24:12you know, we have made available through this particular year's budget. But quite frankly,
24:16as I said, $10 million over the course of three years. It's not a secret that previous
24:22administrations have been quite stingy with investing in our people. Don't you hate stingy
24:27people? They're just bothersome. It's just they never want to share anything. And so these are
24:33tax dollars that are ultimately being reinvested in our communities. And I think to the previous
24:37question about whether it's working or not, look, there's a lot of work to be done here.
24:41Now, we should not just gloss past the fact that homicides are down in Chicago, by the way.
24:48Homicides are down. Shootings are down in Chicago.
24:54And when you look at the most violent beats, homicides and shootings are down higher than
24:59what they are citywide. So the investments will continue to come from, you know, the will of the
25:05people. And we're going to continue to work hard to make sure that safety becomes not just a wish,
25:11but it becomes a reality. Mayor Johnson, can you talk more about the specific results you've seen
25:17from the pilot program and how you're able to measure the correlation or whether that has led
25:23to a correlation in safer communities in those five? Yeah, that's a good question. So this goes
25:27back to our most violent beats, but our Deputy Mayor Gary Gatewood speaks specifically to that.
25:35Thank you for the question. I think one big way to even show the measures of success is you heard
25:39from Kevin earlier, investment in him when he was at a down point in his life, because something
25:44that is very unique to the work that we are in and safety, you see people on the worst day of
25:49their lives, right when they are facing an immense amount of tragedy. So the fact that we were able
25:54to help provide resources to him and his family and so many other families around the city in
25:59their worst moments and not only in collaboration with our partners at the city, the victim services
26:04folks that you see around us, surrounding us here at UCAN and the partners throughout the city
26:09who really show up for folks on their worst day and continue to show up for them. So we've seen
26:13not only again, the mayor mentioned the decrease in homicides and the decrease in shootings,
26:17but you've also seen an increase in wraparound support. So we will continue to work at this.
26:22Obviously there's a lot of work to be done because there's still violence permeating through
26:25our city. So not only do we need to continue those investments, but we also have to layer that with
26:31that accountability. So we'll continue to build on this and we'll continue to move towards that
26:35success that we want to see. Good morning mayor. Good morning. Today we're hearing a lot of
26:46frustration from you about the violence. Tuesday night after the seven-year-old was shot, we heard
26:51frustration from you about the violence and rightfully so. But why did it take so long?
26:57Monday morning we heard nothing from you after 70 people were shot over the weekend and we heard
27:03nothing from you on Monday. Why did it take so long? My frustration is not brand new.
27:11People have been hearing from me and voices across this city for decades.
27:16This is not a new expression of frustration. Look, what people have heard from me,
27:24they've heard my actions. You know my mother used to always say that your actions speak
27:29louder than your words. It's 100 million dollars for violence prevention actions. A 1.25 billion
27:36dollar bond to create economic opportunities and affordable housing for people. It's action.
27:41Action. Having a people place, person place,
27:48community safety plan where we're showing up and block some of the most disinvested,
27:53violent blocks in the city of Chicago. Showing up on the ground. It's action.
27:58People of Chicago want action. We've been hearing words from a minister.
28:03So we invest in people. The people deserve more than just words.
28:08They deserve support and our love. That's what you have in this mayor. Now if you want a mayor
28:13to give you speeches and messages on Monday mornings, we've had enough of that.
28:20We have community-based organizations, the business community, federal government,
28:24state government, all of us working together to show up for people
28:29because our actions have to be louder than our words.
28:32So pay attention to the action, not just the words.
28:43Hi again mayor. I wanted to ask about the new Sterling Bay proposal in Lincoln Park,
28:48which the local alderman objects to. Why is this worth pursuing your first standoff over
28:53aldermanic prerogative and does this signal that you are going to challenge the long-standing
28:58city council tradition more going forward? What my administration is committed to doing
29:04is to bringing real economic development across the city. Now again, the anti-business,
29:13quite frankly the anti-black and brown policies that have caused so much harm in this city,
29:17that day is over. You know it's why we're working hard to bring real economic development to people.
29:23Now what I've committed myself to doing, and I've demonstrated this, is that we work with people.
29:30I need people to calm down and relax. Just relax. We're having conversations
29:37because that's how you build a better, stronger, safer Chicago. So this is not, you know, some
29:42contentious fake spat or riff between my presentation and others. This is about having a
29:49real conversation about how we have the vibrancy in this city so that we can recover. So the
29:56conversations are ongoing and look, there are people who may not have fully embraced our vision
30:06for a better, stronger, safer Chicago. We're going to continue to organize people so that they
30:10understand the full value of what it means to invest in all of our communities. I bring that
30:15up because the alderman, Scott Wagespack, says if it passes the plan commission today, he is going
30:20to try to oppose it in the zoning committee. And I just wanted to ask, are you prepared to
30:25have this stakeout over alderman and prerogative, which a mayor has not successfully overcome since
30:302022? That's an interesting stat. Since 2022, huh? All right, well stay tuned everybody.
30:38Good morning, Mr. Mayor. Good morning. I'd like to ask, well, I want to go back to understanding, and I think people understand that the kind of investments that are being made
30:56are being done and that it's going to take time, but you still hear frustration from people every day
31:03when something like, when children are killed. Yeah. Are there any changes that you want to see
31:10on what's happening on the ground with the policing part of this that need to be made
31:16so that those guns are not as prevalent and that so many drive-bys and such aren't happening? No,
31:25look, that's a great question. Okay, I've been in regular conversation with our superintendent,
31:30and one of the things that I've said from the very beginning, and to your point
31:33about the frustration, that we have to be flexible on the ground to have some nimbleness. This is why
31:38when I talk about the full force of government on display and why it's important that our partners,
31:43Chicago Department of Public Health, are part of this strategy as well, is that when you have the
31:48type of, let me just clarify something I mentioned earlier about how you have sick and unwell people,
31:55unhealthy people, who are traumatized, and they are spreading that trauma throughout the
32:03community through very severe acts of violence. I said that to acknowledge the fact that we need
32:08more behavioral mental health support services. It's why I'm reopening the mental health clinic
32:14in Roseland. It's why we're providing mental health services at Legler Library. It's why
32:18on the lower west side, Little Village Pilsen Clinic, we're providing behavioral health services.
32:23And why is that important? It's because police officers have been behaving as social workers,
32:29marriage counselors, therapists, psychiatrists. It's not their job. And so part of the strategy
32:36that we are constantly moving is a healthy balance between where the presence of police
32:44is beneficial, where we're also layering the behavioral mental health support services,
32:49along with youth employment, along with giving people raises, along with expanding the support
32:54that parks have. Look, that is as immediate as you can get, because there are 28,000 young people
33:02that have an opportunity to work this summer. Ask those individuals how immediate our investments
33:07are. I can tell you what, my son has a job, and I had nothing to do with him getting that job
33:11before anybody decides to investigate it. You know what I'm saying? He got it on his own merit.
33:17He didn't even put on it. He's embarrassed to be with me in public, so he's not going to put me on
33:21a job application. But there are 28,000 young people that have jobs. And so I hope you all
33:27are following this. It's the police presence, particularly strategically be in place where
33:32these spots have gotten hotter, but it's also about making sure that CDPH is on the ground,
33:38but also making sure that our community-based organizations can hire young people. Look,
33:43you all, and I mean this with all due humility, let's just be honest, you have not seen this
33:48level of creativity and collaboration in the city of Chicago since the last 40 years.
33:54I'll amen to that myself. Faith, labor. Look, we have so many people working at this. There
34:01are people who signed up to work for this city 20 years ago and did not know that they were part of
34:05the community safety plan. Parks, community safety. Chicago Public Schools, community safety.
34:12CTA, community safety. Street and sanitation, community safety. Buildings, community safety.
34:17UCAN, community safety. Every single church in this city has to be part of the community safety
34:23plan. And so this is very strategic on the ground. And quite frankly, look, that frustration that
34:28you're hearing from me, it has more to do with the fact that here we are working overtime every
34:34single day to respond to a crisis that we did not create. Can I say that one more time?
34:42Because black and brown folks have been seen as victims for so long, the very crisis that
34:48we are experiencing, the very people who live in these communities did not create the crisis.
34:53And so now we are responsible to clean up somebody else's mess while also making critical
34:58investments for the future of this city. That's why I need 23 more years. That's why I need it.
35:04This is going to take some time for us to get there. And one quick follow up, and this may
35:09splash over into Matt's Matt's department, but to put an emphasis on hospital based prevention,
35:16I think people are used to hearing that hospitals cure the violence or cure the wounds. But what do
35:24we mean when we say hospital based prevention? Yeah, that's a very good question. And I have
35:29a follow up. Come on, come on. Thank you. So historically, the city has funded community
35:37based violence prevention. But one of the things that the mayor was very clear about with us was
35:43this holistic approach, where we're engaging people impacted by violence all across the ecosystem. And
35:49so the city has never funded intervention that happens in hospitals, even though it is an
35:54evidence based strategy. And so it was a gap historically, in our approach. And so we're
36:00closing that gap with the $3 million investment that the mayor described. So when a person comes
36:05in, having experienced a violent injury, they work with credible messengers who engage the
36:10victim and their family to decrease risk of retaliatory violence, and then transition them
36:15into community to get wraparound supports. No, look, that's exactly right. I don't know
36:20if people and I thank you for asking that question. The amount of intervention that happens
36:27at the hospital. Look, I've always said I'm gonna be transparent and truthful and direct.
36:33When people experience violence,
36:37it is hard for them not to get into a retaliatory mode. People want vengeance
36:46is real. And we have trained specialists that are working to not only help them heal,
36:53but to help them forgive. That's that's that's powerful work that these individuals are doing.
36:59And that's why I'm investing in this. Because look, this is not just simply about safer
37:04communities. This is about communities that experience healing and justice.
37:10Look, if you don't take anything else away from this conversation, this press conference,
37:14know that what you are seeing is a full display of love. Because in love, you can course correct,
37:20you can hold people accountable. Make sure accountability, but let's also make sure there
37:25are opportunities. Let's say that one more game and get my Reverend Jesse Jackson on.
37:30We want to create make sure that there is accountability and opportunity.
37:36Thank you, Reverend Jackson. Thank you all. God bless you.
37:55Transcribed by https://otter.ai