Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama Applaud $2 Million to Combat Gang Violence in Chicago

Half of Chicago Homicides Linked to Gangs

August 11, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today applauded the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s decision to include Chicago - where half of all homicides are gang-related - in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, a move that the Senators requested in April. Through this initiative, $2 million will be made available for Chicago area law enforcement agencies to assist in developing plans to combat gang violence and implementing anti-gang strategies using three components of prevention, enforcement, and prisoner reentry.

"In May, I sat down with Mark Filip, Deputy Attorney General, to discuss the dramatic increase in Chicago gang violence," said Durbin. "Senator Obama and I asked the Dept of Justice to provide federal assistance to Chicago law enforcement efforts in combating this rise in gang activity. I am pleased to see that the Justice Department agreed and, with today's announcement, has made combating gang violence in Chicago a top priority."

"As Chicago continues to experience some of the highest rates of gang violence in the country, we must do everything we can to make our neighborhoods safe again," said Senator Obama. "Today's announcement that Chicago will receive support under the Department of Justice's Anti-Gang Initiative is an important and welcome development. However, we must do more to ensure our law enforcement officials have the resources and support they need to combat the violence. I am committed to continuing to work with Senator Durbin and Mayor Daley to keep our children and communities safe."

The Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative is a key component of DOJ's anti-gang strategy and is designed to support law enforcement agencies in combating violent gang crime, while also promoting prevention efforts that discourage gang involvement. The Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative complements existing Department of Justice programs to combat gangs and reduce gun-related crime throughout the country. Created in 2006, the program's goal is to enhance gang prevention, enforcement, and anti-recidivism efforts. To date, ten metropolitan regions have benefitted from the program with $2.5 million each for anti-gang efforts.

On April 28, Durbin and Obama asked for a meeting with DOJ officials to discuss including the Chicago metropolitan area in the Department's Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative. On May 14 Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip attended a meeting in Durbin's office, where Durbin again pressed for Chicago to be included in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative. While in the meeting, Filip announced DOJ's intention to hold an anti-gang training program this summer in Chicago, Illinois as a component of the Project Safe Neighborhoods. This training was held for Chicago area law enforcement agencies in late July.

In recent months, the Chicago area has seen an alarming increase in gang-related shootings and violence. Law enforcement officials have expressed concern that gang violence will remain elevated during the warm weather months. In April 2006, DOJ released the results of its latest National Youth Gang Center survey, which indicated that over half of all homicides in Chicago were considered to be gang-related. Los Angeles was the only other city in which gang activity accounted for such a high percentage of the city's homicides.

Source: Senator Barack Obama

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