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  • WEDNESDAY MARCH 1 2006 9:00 AM

"Violence Interrupters" Brave Chicago Streets

Submitted by Shal

Edited by Shal

CeaseFire, a Chicago nonprofit, is waging a very quiet nonviolent battle against gun crime on city streets. CeaseFire's "violence interrupters" put themselves in harm's way by stepping into escalating arguments and talking some sense into their neighbors.

CeaseFire has about 20 violence interrupters in Chicago. Many are former gang members and ex-convicts. All know the streets and those who run them. They drive around and walk door-to-door in some of the city's toughest neighborhoods to see what is going on and try to defuse arguments before someone pulls the trigger.

"Some people can go on the front porches and talk to people, but these guys can get into the inner circles. They get inside the front doors," said Tio Hardiman, a former street-hustler-turned-academic and CeaseFire's director of gang mediation services.

Chicago had 641 homicides in 1999, the year before CeaseFire began. By 2004 that number had fallen to 448. Last year, there were 447 killings - the first time the city recorded two consecutive years with fewer than 500 homicide since 1964-65.

Though Chicago police say their attack on gangs, drugs and guns is largely responsible for the drop in killings, they give some credit to CeaseFire. In neighborhoods where the program operates, homicides dropped by nearly half, from 97 in 2003 to 49 in 2004, according to CeaseFire.

"They work directly with the community groups, and that structure makes it unique," said Police Deputy Superintendent Charles Williams. "They don't just go to the community meetings and say, `We're here for you.' They also are walking the neighborhoods."



It's great to see community-based organizations taking an active role in bringing down the rate of violent crime in violent neighborhoods. If you're in the Chicago area and you or your business want to donate time, money, or other resources to CeaseFire, they welcome your suggestions and contributions.

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Comments
Salieri

Salieri

Denmark
July 2004

MAR 01, 2006 09:08 AM

Positive news is always the best type of news. smile

strangekitty

strangekitty

Binghamton, NY
February 2006

MAR 01, 2006 10:03 AM

wow, you have to have a lot of respect for those people who are just walking into dangerous situations to try to help prevent violence from happening, even if they have had experience with it before. this seems like a really good idea, though, and maybe the chicago law enforcement should pay more attention to this, as it is actually preventing the problems from happening, instead of "cracking down" and making a bunch of arrests for guns/drugs/assault/homicide after the violence has already happened.

Telltale

Telltale

USA
May 2004

MAR 01, 2006 10:32 AM

Wow, these are the most noble people ever, risking their lives to try to save others. That shit must be scary.

PaperDragon

PaperDragon

United Kingdom
July 2005

MAR 01, 2006 10:42 AM

I respect that these people are showing real toughness, that having a gun and being violent is no way to prove your bravery. In fact people who resort to gun violence are craven (so lacking in courage as to be worthy of contempt). In the uk we have just had an incident where two members of concert security were shot (luckily both survived) for removing a group who had no tickets. What goes on in these peoples minds?

Domo_Kun

Domo_Kun

Rockford, IL
March 2005

MAR 01, 2006 10:42 AM

Rockford, IL, whose crime rate is the highest in the state, has a CeaseFire group as well... They mostly stage protests at the scenes of gang violence. They don't have any "violence interrupters" yet, but they probably will in the near future.

I admire the work that CeaseFire does. CeaseFire Rockford is one of the few good things about Rockford...

There has been a definite drop in gang violence since CeaseFire Rockford started. The police here give them the credit that they are due. Perhaps the Chicago police should be taking notes.

attn_ho

attn_ho

Brooklyn, NY
February 2004

MAR 01, 2006 10:59 AM

jeee-sus, these people have balls. amazing.

Ghost_dance

Ghost_dance

Cincinnati, OH
March 2004

MAR 01, 2006 12:14 PM

this is great.

Lycoris

Lycoris

Toronto, ON
October 2005

MAR 01, 2006 02:34 PM

Wow!

Evermansice

Evermansice

Chicago, IL
July 2005

MAR 01, 2006 11:01 PM

Law enforcement rarely has involved prevention just like incarceration rarely involves reform. It's good to see a group willing to work on closing the gap, then, and I have great respect for the work they've done.

Dark_Templar

Dark_Templar

Auburn, CA
June 2004

MAR 02, 2006 09:46 AM

Shit, Power too em wink

EndedBen

EndedBen

Grand Rapids, MI
August 2004

MAR 02, 2006 09:55 AM

Evermansice said:
Law enforcement rarely has involved prevention just like incarceration rarely involves reform. It's good to see a group willing to work on closing the gap, then, and I have great respect for the work they've done.


FreakPirate

FreakPirate

Canada
November 2002

MAR 02, 2006 10:05 AM

dirtyprude said:
jeee-sus, these people have balls. amazing.



Like melons! My god.

Good for them. It's always great to see people making a difference. smile

Esotericus

Esotericus

USA
September 2005

MAR 02, 2006 10:33 AM

This is some of the best news I've heard in a long time.


[Edited on Mar 02, 2006 1:36PM]

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