On July 24, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined ASIS Entertainment Network and several community-based organizations and street outreach workers to announce $5 million in new funding to reduce violence.
Joining Preckwinkle were Vision of Restoration, Austin Peoples Action Center, Forecast, Hustle Mommies, Communities Partnering 4 Peace ( CP4P ) and outreach workers who confront violence in some of Chicago's hardest-hit communities.
Cook County has experienced a 42-percent increase in gun homicides in 2020 compared to 2019. From Jan. 1 to July 22 of this year, there have been 459-gun homicides in Cook County, compared to 323 during the same period last year.
The new funding is a $5 million investment to the Metropolitan Family Services initiative that will allow the Communities Partnering 4 Peace ( CP4P ) program to expand and extend violence interruption and prevention work in the most impacted neighborhoods.
For more information on Cook County's violence reduction efforts, visit www.cookcountyil.gov/agency/justice-advisory-council-0 .