IS STEPPING UP TO TRY TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE RATE OF GUN VIOLENCE.

THE CIVIC COMMITTEE OF THE COMMERCIAL CLUB IN CHICAGO IS PROPOSING A PLAN THAT WOULD REDUCE HOMICIDES BY 80% IN 10 YEARS.

THAT IS THE HOPE.

THIS COMES IN SEVERAL MAJOR COMPANIES LEAVE THE CHICAGO AREA WITH SOME SIDING CRIME AS A REASON.

JOINING US ARE DEREK DOUGLAS, PRESIDENT OF THE CIVIC COMMITTEE, AND A FORMER CHICAGO POLICE CHIEF AND SENIOR ADVISOR FOR THE CIVIC COMMITTEE PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN.

WELCOME TO CHICAGO TONIGHT.

THE NEW MAYOR HAS SAID TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, INSTEAD OF PICKING UP AND LEAVING A COMPLAINT, WHY NOT PUT SKIN IN THE GAME AND DO SOMETHING?

HOW DEEP IS THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE PLAN?

>> THE COMMITMENT RUNS VERY DEEP.

THE CIVIC COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED JUST LAST WEEK THAT WE WANT TO LEAN IN ON THE ISSUE A PUBLIC SAFETY FOR MEMBERS, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO.

THIS IS THE TOP ISSUE THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD IDENTIFY NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.

TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER.

THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAD NOT YET COME TO THE TABLE TO JOIN THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WORKING ON THE ISSUE.

WE SPENT SIX MONTHS LISTENING, LEARNING, MEETING WITH EVERYBODY WE COULD, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE BEST WAYS IN WHICH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY CAN ENGAGE AND HAVE AN IMPACT.

THAT IS WHAT LED TO THE PLAN WE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK.

>> WE WILL GET INTO THE SPECIFICS IN A MOMENT.

YOU HAVE BEEN WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR A LONG TIME.

THESE ARE VERY LOFTY GOALS, 80% REDUCTION IN HOMICIDES IN 10 YEARS.

WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE SAID THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND IT NEVER REALLY MATERIALIZES.

HOW DOABLE IS IT?

>> I THINK IT IS VERY DOABLE.

WANT TO PUT THE MECHANISM OF BUILDING TRUST INTO THE COMMUNITY, TAKING THIS ONE TABLE APPROACH IS REALLY VERY IMPORTANT.

YOU TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

I THINK ONCE THE COMMUNITY STARTS TO SEE HOW WE PLAY A ROLE IN THIS, THEY WILL ALSO PLAY A ROLE.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIVE PILLARS THAT YOU OUTLINED IN THIS PLAN.

HELPING TAKE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS TO SCALE, HIRING ALUMNI OF THOSE PROGRAMS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS, HIRING MORE BROADLY FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, INVESTING IN UNDER AVESTA COMMUNITIES.

LET'S START WITH THE FIRST TO TAKING PROGRAMS TO SCALE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> THERE IS A GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS IN CHICAGO CALLED COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION ORGANIZATIONS.

THERE ARE LARGER ONES LIKE CHICAGO CRED, METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES, HEARTLAND ALLIANCE , AND THERE ARE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS DOING THIS WORK.

WHAT THEY DO IS WORK WITH THE MOST AT RISK INDIVIDUALS, THE ONES WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE SHOT OR TO SHOOT, AND THEY GIVE THEM WRAPAROUND SERVICES.

BUT TRY TO GET THEM ON THE EMPLOYMENT TRACK SO THEY CAN GET OUT OF THAT LIFE AND INTO A DRIFTER LIFE.

THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME SUCCESS.

THERE IS THE INITIATIVE IN NORTH LAWNDALE WHERE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE COLLABORATING, BUT IT IS NOT AT SCALE.

>> THERE ARE SOME RESULTS TOO.

>> THEY ARE SEEING SOME RESULTS.

THE VIOLENCE HAS BEEN GOING DOWN OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO.

BUT THEY ARE ONLY IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> SO THEY NEED FUNDING .

>> THEY ARE WORKING WITH ABOUT 20% OF THE POPULATION THEY NEED TO GET TO.

ONE OF OUR FIRST PILLARS WAS TO SEE IF WE COULD WORK WITH THOSE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITIES, THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY TO SCALE THAT UP AND MAYBE GET UP TO 80%.

>> FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOW ESSENTIAL ARE THESE GROUPS AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES , IN ADDITION TO WHAT POLICE DO?

>> MY EARLY CAREER WAS WORKING AS COMMANDER IN THE 15th DISTRICT.

WE CREATED A PROGRAM THAT WAS A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM.

IT IS EXACTLY WHAT DEREK IS TALK ABOUT.

TAKING MULTIPLE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESS, CLERGY, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, AND WORK AS ONE TEAM TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM.

TO OFFER, MANY ORGANIZATIONS WORK IN SILOS.

WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM THE SILOS AND COME TO THE TABLE.

THERE IS REALLY ONLY ONE GOAL, TO ENSURE COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE.

WHEN YOU SAY DOABLE, I WANT TO SAY THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL OCCUR.

>> SOME OF THE SILOS COME DOWN OF PEOPLE WORK IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER, IT WILL TAKE INVESTMENT AND MONEY.

BUSINESS LEADERS, ARE THEY WILLING TO PONY UP?

>> BEFORE WE CAME UP WITH THE PLAN, WE WENT TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED, THE SCALE OF INVESTMENT NEEDED, AND WE GOT THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE FULL CIVIC COMMITTEE.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, IT IS MADE UP OF ABOUT 100 OF THE LARGEST COMPANIES IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA.

THE CEOS OF THOSE COMPANIES.

THEY RECOGNIZE THAT WE WILL NEED TO PUT IN RESOURCES TO MAKE THIS WORK.

WE ALSO WANTED TO APPROACH THIS IN A HUMBLE WAY.

WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE FOR MANY YEARS AND BUSINESSES COMING TO THE TABLE NEW.

PART OF THE APPROACH IS TO SIT DOWN WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AT THE ONE TABLE AND UNDERSTAND THE THINGS NEEDED FOR BUSINESS TO HELP YOU DO THAT.

FOR JOBS AND HIRING FOR THE CVI PROGRAMS, ONE OF THE TYPES OF JOBS?

WHAT ARE THE SKILL SETS?

>> AND THE COMMITMENTS TO HIRE FOLKS.

>> EXACTLY.

>> THAT IS ANOTHER THING THE MAYOR HAS CALLED UPON.

HIGHER, STOP COMPLAINING, PUT KIDS TO WORK.

>> WE COMPLETELY AGREE.

>> ONE CRITICISM OF THIS PLAN IS THAT IT DIDN'T CALL FOR A FULLY STAFFED POLICE FORCE FOR IS THE FORCE UNDERSTAFFED RIGHT NOW?

>> WE KNOW THE RANKS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE DECREASED.

THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT THE RANKS HAVE TO INCREASE.

THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE A QUESTION THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO ANSWER , BUT WE KNOW THE RANKS HAVE DECREASED.

>> THAT DID COME OUT .

WE WERE DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT, BECAUSE THE SUGGESTION WAS THAT WE WERE AGAINST ADDING POLICE , SAID WAS THAT THE APPROACH YOU WANT TO TAKE IS TO SIT DOWN WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF CPD, SIT DOWN WITH THE CITY AND UNDERSTAND THEIR STRATEGY, AND THE NEEDS AND HOW MUCH THEY WANT TO GROW AND GET BEHIND THAT.

AS OPPOSED TO WEST DICTATING THAT YOU NEED TO DO XYZ, IT WAS MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO HEAR FROM THE POLICE THEMSELVES, HERE IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.

THAT HAVE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT THAT.

IT IS JUST ABOUT THE WAY YOU COME AT THE ISSUE.

>> UNDERSTOOD.

THE CITY, AS YOU KNOW, IS IN THE MIDST OF A SEARCH FOR THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT.

YOUR NAME HAS BEEN VERY PROMINENT IN THAT SEARCH.

HOW INTERESTED ARE YOU IN THE JOB?

>> RIGHT NOW, THERE'S AN ACTUAL PROCESS GOING ON.

I HAVE TO LET THAT PLAY OUT.

>> FAIR ENOUGH.

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THIS ?

HOW DO YOU PUT INTO ACTION?

>> NEXT STEPS ARE BRINGING THE ONE TABLE TOGETHER.

WE ARE VERY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE MAYOR AND THE NEW ADMINISTRATION TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO GET ALL THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER, ORGANIZE AROUND A COMMON PLAN WITH A COMMON STRATEGY WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL PARTS OF THE SYSTEM ARE BEING ACCOUNTABLE.

NUMBER TWO, WE WILL START WORKING ON THOSE INDIVIDUAL PILLARS.

YOU MENTIONED THE FIVE.

THE FIRST THREE, CVI SCALING, JOBS, AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE, ARE REALLY ABOUT DEALING WITH THE ACUTE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE TO GET CONTROL OF THE VIOLENCE HAPPENING NOW.

BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IF YOU WANT HAVE A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE IMPACT, YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE ROOT CAUSES.

THE FIFTH PILLAR AND THE FOURTH PILLAR ABOUT HOW TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THESE COMMUNITIES, WHICH OFTENTIMES LEADS TO THIS.

WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE