Latest news with #GunViolenceAwarenessMonth
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County law enforcement officials say gun violence down; ‘We are getting illegal guns off the street'
Police departments, prosecutors, social service organizations and others all play a role in the effort to reduce the use of firearms for brutal acts. Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Craig Neal believes there is another vital ingredient in the fight — community. Statistics from the Waukegan and North Chicago police departments, as well as the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, indicate incidents of gun violence are declining. And, in some situations, community members are more willing to give information about gun-related incidents to law enforcement, officials said. Neal said he was touched at a Boys and Girls Clubs of Lake County event earlier this month focused on preventing gun violence. People told stories about losing loved ones to shootings. It touched him and others in attendance. 'They said, 'They took something from me I can't get back. Gun violence has hurt me,'' Neal said. 'My hope is that more people understand that (so) the community will come together and stop this nonsense.' Local law enforcement officials and State's Attorney Eric Rinehart are making a push to raise awareness of issues surrounding the impact of the use of guns during Gun Violence Awareness Month in June. In its proclamation making June Gun Violence Month in Waukegan, the city labeled gun violence an 'epidemic' and a 'public health crisis.' Both Mayor Sam Cunningham and Police Chief Edgar Navarro said at a City Council meeting on June 16 that community involvement is growing. 'You now become de facto police officers,' Cunningham said. 'You become our eyes, our ears. We can't be everywhere, but you can help us out. That car that's not supposed to belong on that block, neighborhood watch. That's how we reduce gun violence.' Rinehart started his initiative to reduce gun violence in June of 2022. It was about more than enforcement and prosecution. He said his office is now using a three-pronged approach to lowering gun crimes. 'We are holding offenders accountable,' Rinehart said. 'Lake County leads the state in the issuance of firearm protection orders, and we're rethinking the use of community engagement regarding the root causes of gun violence.' Working for the State's Attorney's Office is a group of peacemakers who can identify with people in the community — particularly young people. Reihart said they are violence interrupters who work with people who may be prone to violence. 'They are reaching out to at-risk youth to decompress situations before the bullets are in the air,' he said. Both homicides and killings using firearms dropped 30% in Lake County from 2023 to 2024, according to information provided by the State's Attorney's Office. In Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion, the decline was 61% between 2022 and 2024, as were non-fatal injuries from firearms. Along with the reduction in offenses, Rinehart said his office pushed firearm restraining orders issued by a judge from single digits between 2019 and 2021, to 25 in 2022, 32 in 2023 and 46 last year. In Waukegan, Neal said in 2022 there were 60 firearm offenses, 36 in 2023, 73 last year and 21 through Monday, which puts the city on pace for 44 this year. In 2023, Waukegan held a gun buyback for $100 per firearm, taking 107 off the street. 'We are getting illegal guns off the street from traffic stops and investigations,' he said. In addition to homicides, Neal said gun crimes include aggravated battery with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm, armed robbery where a firearm was discharged, armed robbery where there was great bodily harm or death, and aggravated vehicular automobile hijacking of the elderly. In North Chicago, Police Chief Lazaro Perez said incidents of shots fired have dropped dramatically since the city started using ShotSpotter in late 2020. There were 399 incidents reported in 2022, 251 in 2023 and 96 last year. 'It has helped a lot,' he said. 'The police know immediately where it is. They dispatch themselves to the call. They get information from neighbors, which leads to arrests.' Opening a substation on 10th Street — the roadway dividing North Chicago and Waukegan — in North Chicago has made a difference in getting the community involved. North Chicago Deputy Police Chief Gary Lunn said it is making a difference in the neighborhood. 'It's building trust and partnership with the community,' Lunn said. 'They're forming watch groups and calling us. They're coming to us.' Neal said that people who see or hear of criminal activity, including gun use in Waukegan, can use an anonymous tip app that lets a community member make police aware of suspicious activity without disclosing their identity.
San Francisco Chronicle
16-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Feds' immigration raids and detentions have one disturbing similarity
Regarding 'Feds detain two Palestinian visitors at SFO who arrived for humanitarian mission' (Bay Area, June 12): The visit by two Palestinians was intended to foster understanding by sharing their lived experiences in the occupied West Bank with Bay Area faith communities. Instead, they were detained and turned back, an injustice that raises troubling questions about the principles of openness and dialogue. Immigration attorney Phillip Weintraub, who sponsored the visit, confirmed their paperwork was in order. The actions by federal immigration agencies highlight an alarming trend: detentions of those deemed 'the other,' whether they are undocumented workers, who feed and clean up after us, or Palestinians here to bear witness about the unspeakable cruelty of the Israeli occupation. These predatory detentions must stop. Jim Marks, San Francisco What about the owners? Some owners probably like to hire undocumented immigrants so they can be worked harder with no breaks and not be paid a fair wage, and the workers have no recourse. Punish the farmers and ranchers. Mary Piowaty, Susanville, Lassen County Ask about guns June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, although hardly a day goes by when we are not confronted with reports of gun violence. No one is immune. Indeed, gunfire is now the leading cause of death for children and teens. While we often feel helpless in the face of this reality, there is something everyone can do to protect children from accidental shootings: Before sending your child to play at a friend's house, ask if there is a gun in the house and how it is stored. If there are unlocked guns, find a different place for a play date. While gun ownership may be a sensitive topic, children's safety comes first. This is no different than asking about pets, allergies or supervision. A good reminder for this is Asking Saves Kids Day on June 21, the first day of summer, when school is out and children may spend more time at friends' homes. Ruth Borenstein, San Francisco Shades of Hitler President Donald Trump's speech at Fort Bragg Army base, using hand-picked troops as pawns to cheer his lies, is nothing more than a recreation of Adolph Hitler's rallies. It took Hitler only 53 days to take control of the German government. Trump is taking just a bit longer. Make no mistake: It's the same agenda. Trump is using the military to further his march toward taking complete power over what used to be our shining beacon of democracy, freedom and hope for the world. Jude Vasconcellos, Inverness Replace S.F. fountain Regarding 'S.F.'s controversial fountain deemed 'hazardous' and will be fenced off indefinitely' (San Francisco, June 9): It is commendable to recognize Armand Vaillancourt for his art and contribution to San Francisco. Yet through the lens of today, his fountain is not attractive and does not resonate with meaning or purpose. Just as the great museums change what they exhibit, it is time to say goodbye to this relic. The city should create a contest for a fresh installation that embodies contemporary San Francisco and inspires the next generation of visitors to the Embarcadero. David Morris, San Francisco City destroys art Regarding 'S.F.'s controversial fountain deemed 'hazardous' and will be fenced off indefinitely' (San Francisco, June 9): I was about 12 years old the first time I wandered through Vaillancourt Fountain, and it was as if, in a rainstorm, the water came down around me. It was wonderful and I have loved that fountain ever since. So it is sad that San Francisco has made little effort to keep this unique sculpture in good repair. This is a city that, as in the case of the beautiful Spanish-style building that used to house the De Young museum, seems to know only how to tear artistic things down.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Spotted the orange flag above the Tacoma Dome? Here's what it means.
On June 4, an orange flag was raised on the Tacoma Dome. Three years ago, Mayor Victoria Woodards declared June as Gun Violence Awareness Month. In June 2023, the annual tradition of raising the orange flag on the Tacoma Dome began to encourage the reduction of gun violence, city spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune Thursday. 'In the State of Washington, there are about 850 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 10.8 deaths per 100,000 people,' according to Mayor Woodards' May 2022 proclamation. In response to those statistics, Tacoma uses one of the city's most iconic buildings to shed light on the issue. The color orange has become a symbol of gun safety as part of the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which is June 6. Orange was chosen because that's what hunters wear for safety, according to a previous News Tribune article. The flag will get taken down on Monday, June 9, but efforts to promote safety will continue throughout the month. For example, Tacoma helps fund Summer Late Nights, a program that aims to reduce youth violence, Lee said. From June 23 to Aug. 29, middle and high schools throughout Tacoma will have their doors open on weeknights for students. Students have the opportunity to get dinner and hang out with friends, according to the Parks Tacoma website. 'The City of Tacoma maintains our commitment to end senseless gun violence with evidence-based solutions, and pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands,' the proclamation said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information about the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Spotted the orange flag above the Tacoma Dome? Here's what it means.
On June 4, an orange flag was raised on the Tacoma Dome. Three years ago, Mayor Victoria Woodards declared June as Gun Violence Awareness Month. In June 2023, the annual tradition of raising the orange flag on the Tacoma Dome began to encourage the reduction of gun violence, city spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune Thursday. 'In the State of Washington, there are about 850 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 10.8 deaths per 100,000 people,' according to Mayor Woodards' May 2022 proclamation. In response to those statistics, Tacoma uses one of the city's most iconic buildings to shed light on the issue. The color orange has become a symbol of gun safety as part of the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which is June 6. Orange was chosen because that's what hunters wear for safety, according to a previous News Tribune article. The flag will get taken down on Monday, June 9, but efforts to promote safety will continue throughout the month. For example, Tacoma helps fund Summer Late Nights, a program that aims to reduce youth violence, Lee said. From June 23 to Aug. 29, middle and high schools throughout Tacoma will have their doors open on weeknights for students. Students have the opportunity to get dinner and hang out with friends, according to the Parks Tacoma website. 'The City of Tacoma maintains our commitment to end senseless gun violence with evidence-based solutions, and pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands,' the proclamation said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information about the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun Violence Awareness Month: Philly leaders discuss violence after triple shooting in Tacony
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials are marking Gun Violence Awareness Month in the city as gunshots echo in the Tacony neighborhood overnight, wounding three. What we know Police canvassed the 6300 of Torresdale Avenue, handing out information to neighbors who awoke Tuesday to the pop, pop of gunfire. Gary Jauss has lived on the block for 20 years and raised his daughter here. "I just heard a lot of gunfire. I was scared I didn't want to come out," he said. Investigators said it was after 1 a.m. Tuesday when a 21-year-old was behind the wheel of this light-colored sports vehicle when it was struck by a wave of 13 bullets. The driver was hit in the shoulder. Two other men, 24 and 48 years old, seated together on a porch, were also struck. Police say the 48-year-old is in critical condition. A resident, fearing retribution for speaking, asked FOX 29 not use his name. "I was shocked I said on Torresdale? I was stunned and lost for words- -to know there's a school right here," he said. What they're saying Across the city, on the second floor of City Hall, officials gather to mark the beginning of Gun Violence Awareness Month, in a city where gunplay seems ever-present. Adam Geer is Philadelphia's Chief Public Safety Director. "There are going to be some bad moments as we move forward as we continue towards this promised day we all want," said Geer. Pointing to falling homicides, Mayor Parker argues the city is on the right track. "Whenever we lose a life, it's not just a statistic that's a loved one, that's somebody's child, somebody's loved one, so we can't take our foot off the gas," said Mayor Parker. Back in Tacony, neighbors gathered in small groups to talk and hope for a summer of peace. "I just pray it gets better. I just pray for citizens- -hoping everybody makes it home peacefully and crime stops somewhere, somehow," a resident said.
