Each year, Project Safe Neighborhoods holds conferences aimed at strengthening partnerships with community providers and discussing solutions to the problem of gun violence. PSN also has offered a series of technical assistance and anti-gang trainings to our community partners to assist them in improving their organizational effectiveness. During 2008, over 500 law enforcement officials, community service providers, prosecutors and researchers attended a PSN conference or training. Often attendees cite the greatest benefit to these conferences as the opportunity to share information and problem solve with individuals and agencies that are the most connected to the issues in their neighborhoods. As a result, PSN strives to bring community stakeholders to the table to address the problem of gun violence.
Gang Summit
During PSN’s annual gang summit, law enforcement officials, social service providers and academic researchers meet to address the gang problems that contribute to incidences of gun violence in Chicago. Presentations by members of the USAO, Chicago Police Department, Chicago Public Schools, State’s Attorney’s office among others, highlight local initiatives that assist with prisoner re-entry, juvenile prevention and community policing. In addition, the summit has provided education on expungement of criminal records and engagement of the corporate community in joining the partnership against gun violence. The USAO takes an active role during these summits by facilitating conversation on “what works” and “what would you change” around innovative approaches to mitigating gang violence. In the past, topics have included the importance of rapid intervention in reentry engagement as well as offering increased hours at safe zones like schools for at-risk children. Often these topics inform PSN’s agenda for the upcoming year as we look to implement proven models, such as a male mentoring program, that positively impact our target population. To continue the conversation following the summit, PSN creates subcommittees enlisting summit participants as advisers on topics of faith-based participation and youth empowerment.
Anti-Gang Training
During summer of 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice sponsored the Project Safe Neighborhoods Anti-Gang Conference for the Northern District of Illinois. The training was offered in response to the Department of Justice’s desire to deliver comprehensive anti-gang prevention, enforcement and prison re-entry training to all PSN’s partners. In order to provide useful tools, tactics and strategies to professionals at various levels, the conference offered a three track session orientated towards law enforcement, prosecutors and community service providers. Participants heard experts from across the country on topics such as community gang assessment, working with parents, intervention in schools and transitioning individuals out of gangs. By extending invitations to communities surrounding Chicago, participants were able to hear the scope of gang activity that has infiltrated neighboring suburbs demonstrating the need for a collaborative effort to stem gang increases. Conferences like our Anti-gang training represent a large scale effort to form partnerships beyond the city limit that are essential to combating gang violence across the region.
Technical Assistance Training
In response to a need for professional training for many community and faith-based organizations, PSN partnered with the University of Illinois Extensions service to offer technical assistance trainings. PSN sponsors these trainings in order to build the capacity of its partners and enable them to qualify for corporate and foundation funding. During 2008, University of Illinois Extension offered trainings on developing effective leadership, engaging volunteers and staff, and creating sustainability strategies.
