{"id":102789,"date":"2023-04-27T10:56:23","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T15:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=102789"},"modified":"2023-04-27T10:56:23","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T15:56:23","slug":"youth-investment-chicago-leaders-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/youth-investment-chicago-leaders-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite record youth investment, Chicago leaders are divided on preventing youth violence"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Damita Menezes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Medill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

After large groups of Chicago teens gathered downtown earlier this month, leading to incidents of mayhem and destruction, city leaders are divided on prevention strategies as warmer days lie ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must have the will to immediately extricate and arrest anybody seeking to try to incite the crowds to violence,\u201d Ald. Raymond Lopez of the 15th Ward said.<\/p>\n

While Lopez calls for Chicago Police Department presence, parental accountability and curfews, Ald. Andre Vasquez said he believes there are deeper issues that need to be addressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city has not done the best job of providing outlets. We\u2019ve been asking for more mental health clinics and more gathering spaces, opening up schools and making more community centers. But it has been challenging getting anything done under the Lightfoot administration,\u201d said Vasquez, of the 40th<\/sup> Ward.<\/p>\n

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson has said demonizing children is wrong, but schools should be funded and teens need to receive access to jobs.<\/p>\n

According\u00a0to the\u00a02019 budget overview report<\/a>, $57 million was invested in youth services. In 2023, $150 million was invested, according to the 2023 budget overview report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that many of my colleagues and the mayor-elect love to call for more money, more programs. But we have plenty. The problem is parents are not making sure their children are participating. I’m sure not one of those children that were out there this past week has taken advantage of the resources. We cannot force people to take advantage of programs. What we can force people to do is follow the law,\u201d Lopez said.<\/p>\n

The outgoing Lightfoot administration\u2019s investment in youth services also includes the One Summer Chicago<\/a> (OSC) employment program, which hired 20,544 out of 45,000 applicants from ages 14 to 24 in job placements and training last summer.<\/p>\n

In 2022, the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) introduced target populations to its youth employment programs to ensure youth from the following at-risk populations receive a fair chance to participate:<\/p>\n