Durbin & Obama Ask for Meeting With DOJ Officials to Discuss the Inclusion of Chicago in Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative
Monday, April 28, 2008
Printable FormatFor Immediate Release
Contact: Christina Mulka (Durbin) or Michael Ortiz (Obama)
Recent spike in violent crime warrants additional federal resources
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today asked for a meeting with Justice Department officials and Illinois Congressional Delegation members to discuss including the Chicago metropolitan area in the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative - a program created in 2006 to enhance gang prevention, enforcement, and anti-recidivism efforts. The Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative has so far provided ten metropolitan regions with $2.5 million each for anti-gang efforts.
"Chicago is home to some of the largest and most violent gangs in the country, but has been left out of one of the most highly touted federal anti-gang initiatives," said Durbin. "We are asking the Justice Department to make combating gang violence in Chicago a top priority this summer and in the future."
"With as many as 40 gang-related shootings in the past week alone and so many tragic deaths this year, the violence in our neighborhoods and schools is heartbreaking and has got to stop," said Obama. "Chicago has experienced some of the highest rates of gang violence in the country, and combating it must be a top priority for the Department of Justice's anti-gang initiative and for the federal government. We also know that we must involve the entire community - from our schools and churches to teachers and parents - it makes a difference and it saves lives. Senator Durbin and I are committed to working with Mayor Daley and Chicago's dedicated law enforcement personnel to ensure the city has the resources it needs to protect our families and keep our children safe."
Since April 18, at least 48 shootings have taken place in the Chicago area resulting in at least 15 deaths. Law enforcement officials have expressed concern that as the weather warms, gang violence will remain elevated. In April 2006, DOJ released the results of its latest National Youth Gang Center survey, which indicated that over half of all homicides in Chicago were considered to be gang-related. Los Angeles was the only other city in which gang activity accounted for such a high percentage of the city's homicides.
The Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative is a key component of DOJ's anti-gang strategy and is designed to support law enforcement combating violent gang crime, while also promoting prevention efforts that discourage gang involvement. The Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative complements existing Department of Justice programs to combat gangs and reduce gun-related crime throughout the country.
[text of letter below and attached]
April 28, 2008
The Honorable Michael Mukasey
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Attorney General Mukasey:
We urge you to take immediate steps to focus additional resources of the Department of Justice on combating gang violence in the Chicago metropolitan area. The past 10 days have witnessed a spike in violent crimes in Chicago, with at least 48 shootings resulting in at least 15 deaths. Also, this school year 24 children in the Chicago area have been killed by gunfire. Much of this violence is attributable to gang activity, and gang violence in the region is expected to remain at an elevated level in the coming warm weather months. Reducing this level of violence will require an enhanced commitment from the Department of Justice in conjunction with state and local law enforcement and gang prevention organizations. We strongly urge the Department of Justice to make the reduction of gang violence in the Chicago area a top priority of the Department's anti-gang efforts. We also request a meeting with you and appropriate Department of Justice officials, along with members of the Illinois congressional delegation, to discuss this issue.
While Chicago-area law enforcement agencies are working hard to head off a surge in gang violence, targeted assistance from the Department of Justice would greatly boost their gang prevention and enforcement efforts. For example, a key part of the Department of Justice's anti-gang strategy is the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, which was created in 2006. The Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative has so far provided ten metropolitan regions with $2.5 million each in order to enhance gang prevention, enforcement, and anti-recidivism efforts in those areas. In January, you testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that "focused enforcement efforts under the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative are showing strong early results." However, Chicago is not one of the regions selected for participation in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative. Given the severity of the gang problem in the Chicago area and the existence of established infrastructure to support enhanced prevention, enforcement and anti-recidivism efforts in Chicago, the inclusion of Chicago in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative appears both appropriate and justified. We urge you to include Chicago in this Initiative.
Also, after your January testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Durbin asked you in writing to provide information on the Department of Justice's current efforts to address gang violence in the Chicago region. You have not yet responded. Before our meeting, please provide this information in writing.
Ridding our communities of gang violence will require a sustained, cooperative effort involving effective prevention strategies, active enforcement, close coordination between local, state and federal governments, and a renewed focus on addressing the underlying factors that contribute to gang behavior. The Department of Justice plays a vital part in these efforts, and the Department's urgent attention is needed now in the Chicago metropolitan region. We look forward to working with you to address this challenge.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Senator
Barack Obama
U.S. Senator
cc: Mark Filip, Deputy Attorney General