Community violence interventionists walk high-risk neighborhoods hoping to interrupt cycles of violence through direct outreach and trust-building. WTTW News spent the day with one team to see what it’s all about.

The executive order that first establishes an Office of Gun Violence Reduction comes in the aftermath of weekend violence that led advocates to renew calls for the city to establish a Department of Gun Violence Reduction.

The $20 million includes $5 million awarded through the county’s community violence intervention grant initiative and a new $15 million funding opportunity that will launch later this year, according to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

From the beginning of his appointment in April, Chicago Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Emmanuel Andre has faced a number of challenges — from how to handle teen takeovers and rising domestic violence cases to aggressive federal immigration enforcement and rising political tensions.

The prevalence of mass youth gatherings, known as teen takeovers, often increases with the temperature as the trend becomes more popular in summer months. So far this year, at least four major events have taken place in Chicago.

Host Brandis Friedman and audience members put questions to a Chicago Police Department official, leaders of local anti-violence nonprofits and community-police organizations to try and assess the current state of community and police relationships. 

Advocates for the bill say they are wary of debates happening in the wake of major news events, which can emphasize the technology’s role in investigations over its risks, including misidentification of individuals and expanded surveillance.

Gary Slutkin founded Cure Violence Global, formerly known as CeaseFire, an organization dedicated to training trusted community members to be violence interrupters. Interrupters work with those at risk of committing violence while providing alternative options and resources.

In an effort to combat suicide trends, two community-led organizations in Chicago — No Kids Die in the Chi and Soul Survivors of Chicago — are working to intervene early and provide young people with culturally grounded support.

Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. Some people who’ve only been charged with a crime — never convicted or sentenced — can spend the rest of their lives at a correctional center.

Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. Some people who’ve already finished serving their sentences can spend the rest of their lives at a correctional center.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new top public safety adviser will be Emmanuel Andre, the deputy of policy for the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, the mayor’s spokesperson announced.

A pair of Illinois bills seeks to clarify language around sentencing credits, aiming to ensure that after program completion, judges can issue sentence credit, whether it was completed in a state prison or a county jail.

Anjanette Young has worked for more than six years to force CPD to change the way it uses search warrants after a botched raid of her apartment.

Increased investments in a violence intervention program that targets Chicago communities with the highest rates of gun violence has led to continued declines in the number of shootings and homicides, a new study found.

The county’s Restorative Justice Community Courts reroute young people with nonviolent charges from criminal courts to an alternative program. Upon completion, the charge is dismissed.