Cook County sticks with road map to reduce gun violence as federal funds dry up

Since the peak of the gun violence crisis in 2021, gun homicides in Cook County have fallen by 50%. Though many factors may affect this downward trend in violence, research supports that our coordinated, sustained investment in communities is working.

The influx of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act allowed us to invest in communities at historic levels. Across the state, county and city, more than $350 million was directed toward community-based violence intervention and prevention efforts, including $110 million from Cook County alone. These funds supported youth development programs, outreach workers and survivor services.

This was not a shot in the dark; it was a strategic, coordinated effort across levels of local government in partnership with business and philanthropy to meet the moment and curb the gun violence crisis.

A 2025 analysis by Northwestern University found that public investments in community violence intervention, known as CVI, successfully went to communities with the highest rates of violence, and those communities with the highest level of investment experienced the steepest public safety gains.

This is not surprising. Researchers, law enforcement and communities support CVI. It leverages the knowledge and credibility of people from the community to reach and support the highest-risk residents, connecting them to an array of services, from counseling to job training. A study of a CVI program found participants who completed the program were 73% less likely to be arrested for a violent crime than peers not in the program.

I recently met a young man named Preston from North Lawndale. After losing people close to him to gun violence, he described himself as “very much lost out here.” But outreach workers from the Firehouse Community Arts Center kept connecting with him. As he tells it, “If it wasn’t for the outreach team not giving up on me, ain’t no telling where I would be.”

Preston found stability and opportunity in the program, standing out and eventually getting hired and promoted to a supervisor position at Firehouse. In his words, “All I wanted to do was pass it on to the next person who might be in need.”

As the American Rescue Plan Act resources phase out, we face a critical question: whether we will sustain what is working. At Cook County, the answer is yes. We continue to invest $30 million annually for CVI and services for survivors of gun violence, even as federal support for these efforts has declined.

We are also more organized and aligned than ever. Through the Government Alliance for Safe Communities, the state, county and city actively coordinate. We have cross-sector investment strategies, and high-quality capacity-building opportunities for organizations and people working on the frontlines to reduce violence. This dedicated community safety workforce shows up every day to mediate conflicts, support young people and prevent retaliation.

We should be clear-eyed about the challenge ahead. Despite overwhelming evidence supporting our approach, detractors question the validity of violence prevention efforts that are not rooted in incarceration and attempt to exploit any missteps. Denying the proven potential of community-based strategies while spreading misinformation and fear is irresponsible and dangerous. Such behavior does not change what data and experience tell us: When we invest in communities, violence declines, making room for hope to flourish.

Hope is fuel for change. It is not naive. It is imperative. Hope allows us to remain strong and united in the fight against gun violence, particularly as we navigate a challenging political climate and the loss of federal funding.

Our hope is rooted in the power of communities to make change. The people closest to the gun violence crisis — the mothers, the survivors, the outreach workers — are breaking cycles of violence and helping communities heal. Our responsibility as leaders is to ensure they are not left without the resources they need to continue this life-saving and inspiring work towards a more peaceful Cook County.

Toni Preckwinkle is president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

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