In light of the new school year where over 400,000 cps students returned with the perception of hope, educational advancement, safety and security, and a safe passage initiative funded through a federal grant totaling at least $30 million dollars, it stil
In light of the new school year where over 400,000 cps students returned with the perception of hope, educational advancement, safety and security, and a safe passage initiative funded through a federal grant totaling at least $30 million dollars, it still seems that some youth continue to ascribe to destructive and deadly behavior.
A few days before school began and within a week of its start, there have been several shootings –– some fatal, including Darrell McKinney and Deantonio Goss –– involving youth victims and youth or young adult suspects.
Within days after Darrell’s death, the Chicago Police Department’s CAPS office joined other community and faith-based groups in canvassing the area where Darrell was killed for information to help find his killer.
His alleged murderer is now behind bars.
Breaking the code of silence on the streets does work.
The CAPS office has partnered with the “100 Churches & 100 blocks” initiative to implement the strategy in the high-crime areas of the 4th police district on the Southeast Side.
The initiative began as a five-week pilot program in May on the West Side in the 15th district.
The idea was on every Wednesday –– usually Bible Study day –– church activities were held outdoors on a designated corner of a block of the churches choosing for one hour to conduct prayer, establish positive loitering and impact to repel negative and illicit activity. The calls for service in those areas dropped by 72 percent for several hours.
Amazing…faith without work is dead. God is good.
A training session for the 4th district initiative will be held Wednesday (Sept. 15) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at New Original Church of God in Christ, 1750 E. 78th St.
CAPS is also working with Faithworks, a grassroots program that utilizes faith-based institutions as the anchor for promoting safe communities and community action. prevent and reduce crime.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was once quoted: “History’s biggest tragedy is not the violent acts of bad people, but the appalling silence and indifference of good people.”
In other words, the code of silence broken on the streets works when it’s put into action with discretion and not ascribing to the perception of fear.
Kudos to Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis for having the courage to actively deliver that message to those who thought they had a free pass to continue on their path of causing death and destruction.
Kudos to Purpose Over Pain’s parents for giving birth to the Code of Silence and Culture of Calm initiatives and campaigns as they continue to honor the memory of their children lost to gun violence.
Kudos to the anonymous citizens who helped bring to justice the persons who ended the lives of Darrell McKinney and Deantonio Goss. Kudos to the faith-based and community watch patrol’s under the guise of Chicago Public Schools Safe Passage Program.
Kudos to Chatham residents, the Wortham family and the 6th district CAPS office for standing up to crime, taking back with continued ownership of their neighborhood, when they launched the “Pease in the Park after Dark” campout for the children.
Kudos to the men and women at the CPD who do a thankless job of old-fashioned police work in following up on shreds of evidence and tips and clues that do at times lead to arrests of violent individuals who perpetrate terror, fear and death upon innocent and law-abiding citizens in our city.
We as a neighborly community must get back to the basics of “it takes a village to raise a child.” The ingredients are there. We as a community just have to get into the mix. We as a community must recreate, reaffirm, reclaim and re-establish our own ‘culture of calm.’
Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender
Ronald M. Holt, a veteran Chicago police officer, is the Director of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) Implementation Office. He’s also a founding member of the Purpose Over Pain organization. www.purposeoverpain.org.
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