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Title:
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Establishment of Mayor's Office of Gun Violence Prevention
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ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, it is the finding of the City of Chicago City Council that extreme, concentrated gun violence is traumatizing entire neighborhoods ofthis city resulting in murder, permanent disability, fear, family disruption and mental health issues: and
WHEREAS, this body further finds such chronic mayhem within these communities has led to lack of private investment and jobs as well as reduced educational attainment among its most vulnerable young citizens; and
WHEREAS, the City Council deems it necessary to actively restore and promote the peace by specifically targeting those areas that are disproportionately impacted by extreme gun violence with a comprehensive system of public health prevention, violence intervention, and holistic development for families and individuals most at risk to be the victims of gun violence; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. Office Created
The Mayor's Office of Gun Violence Prevention, herein after referred to as MOGVP, is hereby created that will identify no more than fifteen of Chicago's community areas that have the highest prevalence of gun violence victims per census tract. The MOGVP shall utilize the following factors to determine the portions of the fifteen communities that qualify for resources:
per capita number of gun shootings;
total number of shootings;
poverty rates;
unemployment rates; and
the number of residents returning to communities from Cook County Jail or the Illinois Department of Corrections annually.
Those portions of these fifteen communities that have been identified by census tract as experiencing extreme levels of gun violence (as defined above) shall receive targeted services to be delivered by community-based agencies supported by the City of Chicago as well as private resources to reduce gun violence victimization in the areas so identified.
The MOGVP shall be led by the Director of Gun Violence Prevention, a position that reports directly to the Mayor and is advised by the CGVP. The Director can be terminated by the Mayor for cause or for any reason, if the Mayor and a majority of the MOGVP agree to the termination.
The MOGVP shall include the following paid staff in addition to the Director of Gun Violence Prevention:
One Community Coordinator for every community that is identified as eligible for services as defined by this ordinance.
Data Analyst(s) to coordinate monthly data reports on the incidences of violence in these neighborhoods and coordinate research on underlying solutions to the violence.
Such administrative support staff as is deemed necessary by the Director.
All staff members ofthe MOGVP are employed at-will, reporting to and serving at the pleasure of the Director.
Duties Defined
The MOGVP shall have the following duties:
Identify a maximum of fifteen Chicago community areas with the highest rate of gun violence through utilizing the aforementioned factors occurring during the prior three years. Designation of a community area as one of the fifteen highest gun violence areas during designated a period of time, thereby allowing for the implementation of best-evidence interventions, shall remain in effect as long as the area continues to merit intensive intervention and prevention services. The MOGVP also is authorized to consider targeted services in new areas that have experienced an unnatural spike in gun violence over the last two years.
Through a competitive process, issue contracts for intervention services and primary prevention services, as well as coordination and capacity building efforts as authorized by this ordinance.
Annually report to the Chicago City Council and the Mayor on all activities implemented to prevent and intervene with gun violence in these fifteen community areas.
Track violence trends in the fifteen community areas by block at least monthly.
Coordinate with the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Office of Police Accountability about non-enforcement and non-prosecution activities that can pro-actively promote better community-police relations and prevent gun violence.
Coordinate resources and services at other City agencies to proactively address safety concerns in targeted communities.
Make recommendations to the City Council and Mayor on further programs, policy and procedures, and ordinances that will further reduce violence.
Promulgate rules and regulations in the normal course of operations to implement the duties ofthe MOVP.
i) Contract for consulting services to better understand underlying
causes of gun violence and develop remediation services
SECTION 3. Commission Created
An 11-member Commission on Gun Violence Prevention, herein after referred to as (CGVP), is hereby created comprised of three non-voting government officials (the Chicago Police Superintendent, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Family and Social Services); three representatives of community organizations that work on gun violence prevention; two Chicago residents that have lost family members to gun violence; two representatives of Chicago's faith community; and a research policy expert.
Six ofthe eleven members ofthe CGVP must reside in Chicago either west of Ashland Avenue and south of Division Avenue and/or south of 35lh Street and east of Western Avenue.
Members ofthe CGVP that serve in the capacity of their official governmental positions shall serve as long as they hold that position. The non-governmental members ofthe CGVP shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by a majority vote ofthe City Council for a three-year term beginning in 2020. In 2019, the Mayor shall appoint 2 members to one-year terms, 2 members to two-year terms, and three members to three-year terms. Non- governmental members of the CGVP may serve only two terms.
Duties Defined
The CGVP shall have the following duties:
Elect a Chair of the CGVP based on a majority vote of a quorum of the Commission at an approved meeting of the Commission. Government members will not have voting power.
Recommend to the Mayor three candidates to become the Director of Violence Prevention within six weeks of formation and if the position is known to become vacant for any reason;
Hold quarterly meetings to review data and programs implemented by the Mayor's Office of Violence Prevention. More frequent meetings may be called by the Chair ofthe Commission on Violence Prevention or a majority of the Board members of the Commission on Gun Violence Prevention;
Advise on the community areas that shall be recommended by the Mayor's Office of Violence Prevention for targeted services to be organized, contracted for, implemented and monitored by the Mayor's Office of Violence Prevention: and
Make non-binding recommendations for changes in the data collection, services, or contracts issued by the Mayor's Office of Violence Prevention.
SECTION 4. Resources Provided
The MOGVP is mandated to select providers and coordinate all City of Chicago resources to provide three primary categories of services:
Intervention services that include:
street level outreach to those most at risk of violence and conflict mediation;
group, family, and individual trauma informed care and mental health services; and
workforce training and transitional employment for individuals most disconnected from the workforce and at the highest risk of engagement in violence.
Primary prevention programs that create safe spaces and serve the highest risk young people and families that have not yet been directly involved with gun violence and develop professionalized block networks that address coordinate access to public services and reduce community conflicts.
Coordination and capacity building programs that ensure alignment across multiple stakeholder groups (including the CGVP, Chicago Police Department, Chicago Office of Police Accountability and community organizations) and strengthen the infrastructure of local organizations to most effectively serve the residents of their community.
SECTION 5. Appropriations and Funding
The total appropriations for the OMGVP and the CGVP shall not be less than fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) per annum.
The OMGPV and the CGVP shall have the authority to accept private donations provided the funds are used solely for the purposes or responsibilities ofthe OMGPV and/or the CGVP as directed by this ordinance.
Reports and Transparency
All reports ofthe MOGVP and the CGVP shall be open to public inspection, except to the extent that information contained therein is exempted from disclosure by the Illinois
Freedom of Information Act. or any other applicable law. All audits conducted by the Office of Violence Prevention shall be released publicly at the time of completion and will be published on the website ofthe MOGVP and the CGVP and remain available on the Joint Committee of Budget & Government Operations and Public Safety website for at least 10 years from the date of publication. The data sets will also remain on the website for at least 10 years from the date of publication. All policy recommendations and subsequent records related to these recommendations are open to public inspection and shall be published on the MOGVP website at the time of completion and remain on the website for at least 10 years.
The MOGVP will work with existing city agencies to coordinate the equitable distribution of city funding for violence prevention programs and services to reach the communities facing the highest rates of gun violence and the people within these communities who are in the greatest need of services. The allocation of these resources will also be driven by evidence about the effectiveness of programs and services.
The MOGVP will work closely with any independent research institution that would provide data analysis capacity to help MOGVP effectively direct resources to reach the people and places most in need of services, to help contracting service providers, to partner with other city agencies to track program participation and outcomes, and to rigorously evaluate the impact of programs and services whenever possible.
SECTION 7. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect upon its passage and publication.
R^&erick T. Sawyer Alderman - 6th Ward
Chris Taliaferro Alderman - 29th Ward
Harry Osterman Alderman - 48th Ward