FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ALSO Secures Funding To Continue Safe Streets Violence Intervention Services

Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois - March 1, 2017 - The Alliance of Local Service Organizations (ALSO) received a $100,000 grant from Cook County Justice Advisory Council for Violence Prevention, Intervention, and Reduction.

This grant supports ALSO’s Safe Streets program, which works to prevent shootings and homicides in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood through outreach workers who mediate street conflict, outreach to and mentor in at-risk youth, and strive to change community perceptions of the inevitably of violence. Gun violence in Chicago is surpassing historic highs and Humboldt Park ranks 6th among Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods for rates of violent crime. Three half-time Safe Streets outreach workers will now be employed in Humboldt Park for 12 months, each managing an average caseload of 10 clients at risk of shooting or being shot.

The Safe Streets program is an adaptation of the CeaseFire model. When ALSO managed two CeaseFire sites, we saw decreases in shootings and homicides on the Northwest Side. Since ALSO’s programming was interrupted in March 2015, violent crime in Chicago has increased. Chicago homicides rose to 796 in 2016, up from 468 in 2015 and 416 in 2014. In 2016, Humboldt Park experienced 28 homicides and 168 wounded from gun violence; both statistics increased from 2015 (20 homicides and 112 wounded). ALSO looks forward to a county-subsidized Safe Streets team in Humboldt Park.

ALSO’s mission is to end violence in the homes and streets of communities nationwide. Learn more about ALSO’s local and national violence prevention and intervention efforts.