The Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago

Chapter 2Project FormationThe Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project was part of a theoretically-informeddemonstration to address the youth gang problem in comprehensive strategy and communitybasedterms. It followed an earlier gang-program model based on single-type strategies –outreach youth work or police suppression. The comprehensive gang-program model wasdeveloped by the principal investigator and associates in the course of the “Juvenile GangSuppression and Intervention Research and Development Program,” sponsored by the Office ofJuvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice (1987-1991). Themodel was based on a set of interrelated strategies: 1) community mobilization; 2) socialintervention; 3) provision of social opportunities; 4) suppression or socialized control; and 5)organizational change and development. The strategies were elaborated in twelve technicalassistance manuals, each providing rationales and recommending policies and practices fordifferent organizations or institutions addressing (or that might address) the gang problem, e.g.,police, probation, youth agencies, schools, businesses (Spergel, Chance 1992).The Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project was sponsored by the ChicagoPolice Department, and funded by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority through ablock grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. What distinguished the Project was its policedepartment sponsorship envisioning the collaboration of the criminal justice system, youthservice agencies, and grassroots groups. Outreach youth workers (mainly former gang leaders oflocal gangs) and residents of Little Village were to be key elements in this local, communitybasedproject. Research was also uniquely and highly integrated into Project operations.2.1