The Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago

arrangement was delayed and interrupted several times. As of Fall of 1999 did not seem to bemoving ahead satisfactorily. The Cook County Adult Probation Department had still not madespecific policy arrangements for integrating its efforts with the Chicago Police Departmentaround the gang problem. The then-current District 10 commander telephoned the coordinator inlate November, 1997 for an appointment to discuss the increasing serious gang violence problemin Little Village. He wanted to know more about the use of community youth workers. TF, theadult probation supervisor also agreed to appear at the meeting. He noted that with Projecttermination the probation officers did not know what was happening with gangs on the streets ofLittle Village.Periodic discussion between the coordinator and police officers continued, but no changein policing policy in respect to the gang problem in Little Village or Chicago occurred. In 2003,the Mayor and Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department still had not developed aneffective approach to reduce homicides, particularly gang homicides. The rate of homicides inChicago now exceeded that of any other city in the United States with a million or more people.The Superintendent’s new plan to solve the homicide problem remained “red hot.” Its focus was“ ‘Gang strategy teams’ in each of the Police Department’s patrol areas to meetevery week to share information and discuss crime-fighting strategies”(Washburn, Chicago Tribune 2003).18.14