Gun violence can seem intractable — but it doesn’t have to be. There are solutions that can save lives. The Inquirer Opinion team talked to stakeholders in Philly and elsewhere, like READI Chicago Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra, who are working to stop the shootings to get a sense of what can be done to stem the rising tide of violence in our city.

Read the full story from The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

As escalating gun violence, carjackings and brutal attacks have residents of Chicago on edge, many are demanding police find a way to stop it. Other Chicagoans believe there’s a more effective way to address the problem.

Watch the full story from WGN-TV and hear from READI Chicago Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra here.

READI Chicago Deputy Director Javon Gregoire talks about what they’re doing to strengthen and protect those most at-risk of suffering from gun violence.

Watch the story from FOX32 Chicago here.

2020 was a violent year. To understand why homicide rates are rising, it’s essential to recognize that the vast majority of murders in the United States involve a surprisingly small number of people — mostly young men living in urban communities without many opportunities or much hope. 

Read more from Thomas Abt, senior fellow with the Council on Criminal Justice, about the need for programs like READI Chicago in the Washington Post here.

In 2020, more Americans died from gun violence than during any previous year on record—a spike directly attributable to the pandemic. So, while the country recently mourned the grim milestone of 500,000 coronavirus deaths, in truth, the virus’ ripple effects have been much larger. 

Read more, including about how READI Chicago is helping keep communities safer, from the Scientific American here.

Eddie Bocanegra actively works to build safer communities by limiting gun violence throughout Chicago’s most violent neighborhoods.

As the Senior Director of the Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI Chicago), a program through Heartland Alliance, Bocanegra helps decrease shootings and homicides among those at highest risk of gun violence by creating genuine connections and reminding marginalized members of society of their worth, purpose and potential.

Read the full story from the Chicago Sun-Times here.

The Chicago Justice Project podcast talks with three organizations that are doing the long-term work on the streets in these communities that have a chance of really making a difference. Leading up to 2020 Chicago had seen a few straight years of reductions in gun violence. It is not clear what those reductions should be contributed to. Hear what READI Chicago Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra thinks on the Chicago Justice Podcast here.

In an online panel hosted by the Council on Criminal Justice, Thomas Abt, an expert on urban violence reduction, moderated a conversation between leaders of community-based organizations who have been working on the frontlines of this issue since long before the coronavirus to introduce four of the strongest strategies today: focused deterrence, street outreach, cognitive behavioral therapy, and hospital-based violence prevention. 

Read the full story, featuring READI Chicago Deputy Director Javon Gregoire, from the Crime Report here.

The White House is weighing a number of gun safety proposals as it looks to deliver on President Joe Biden’s campaign promises. But some activists are upset that after one month in office the administration has yet to set a firm timeline or provide specifics about its overarching plan.

Read the full story, featuring READI Chicago Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra, from Politico here.

After Chicago saw a dramatic spike in crime in 2020, one group is doubling down on its goal to cut violence by 20% next year. At a virtual press conference Tuesday afternoon, Arne Duncan, the former U.S.C education secretary who co-founded Create Real Economic Destiny, or CRED, said 2020 has been “very tough,” but “our collective goal is to make sure 2020 was an aberration and not a trend.”

Duncan, as well as speakers associated with Metropolitan Family Services, READI Chicago and others who’ve worked with Duncan’s group, joined him Tuesday to talk about violence reduction efforts.

Read the full story and hear from Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra from the Chicago Sun-Times here.