Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart speaks Tuesday afternoon on his new “violence reduction plan,” which aims to reduce gun violence in the Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion areas. | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

The Lake County state’s attorney, joined by local and state officials, announced a new “violence reduction plan” Tuesday afternoon that aims to prevent gun violence in the Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion communities.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart — joined by officials like Congressman Brad Schneider, State Representative Rita Mayfield and State Senator Adriane Johnson — announced their new “violence reduction plan” during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the Lake County Court Tower in downtown Waukegan.

The 45-page plan is part of Lake County’s gun violence prevention initiative (GVPI), which was launched in mid-2022 and aims to reduce gun violence in the Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion areas.

“This plan includes Lake County firearm data, root causes of gun violence, and it will serve as the strategic plan that the GVPI will use to implement the ideas, feedback, and plans developed by the community,” the state’s attorney’s office said.

The Lake County state’s attorney’s new “violence reduction plan” consists of six components — youth engagement, resource ecosystem, community violence intervention, restorative justice, victim services and firearm risk reduction. | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

The GVPI is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the state through budget allocation.

“Gun violence has devastated too many Lake County and American communities for too long,” Rinehart said. “The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is committed to finding and deploying resources that will make communities safe tonight, tomorrow and decades into the future.”

Rinehart called the new plan “ambitious, comprehensive and life-saving.” It was announced Tuesday because National Crime Victims’ Rights Week runs from April 21 to April 27.

Firearm homicides in Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion from 2022 to 2023 have collectively decreased by 41%, along with a 44% decrease in non-fatal shootings, Rinehart said.

Graphics provided by officials show that firearm homicides in Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion from 2022 to 2023 have collectively decreased by 41%. | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

North Chicago itself saw a 60% decrease in firearm homicides from 2022 to 2023, Waukegan a 9% decrease and Zion an 83% decrease, according to data provided by the state’s attorney’s office.

The violence reduction plan, which focuses on preventing gun violence from occurring in the first place, consists of six components — youth engagement, resource ecosystem, community violence intervention, restorative justice, victim services and firearm risk reduction.

The youth engagement component of the plan looks at promoting social-emotional learning in school curriculums and providing mentorship through the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance framework.

“This is to address the persistent gaps facing boys and young men of color to ensure they can reach their full potential,” the plan said.

One of the youth engagement component’s goals is to ensure all MBK participants graduate high school.

“We are so thankful for the GVPI’s work in facilitating these educational experiences for our students and encouraging them to take up the space they deserve,” Assistant Principal Tiffani Scott of John R. Lewis Middle School in Waukegan said.

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Lake County District 18 Board Member Sara Knizhnik speaks Tuesday afternoon on the state’s attorney’s new “violence reduction plan.” | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Resource ecosystem looks at forming collaborative relationships with local law enforcement, medical centers like Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, referral networks and community-based organizations.

“The GVPI has partnered with Condell Medical Center — the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Lake County — to develop a rapid response protocol following an instance of gun violence,” the plan said.

“When a patient with a gunshot wound comes into Condell, the team on call will contact the GVPI team so the Lake County Peacemakers (outreach workers) can go to Condell and begin to engage with the patient.”

The resource ecosystem component also aims at leading and participating in many community events.

The community violence interruption component consists of “peacemakers” that identify individuals at risk of gun violence, providing them with social services and mediating conflicts.

Marcus McAllister, who owns McAllister Consultancy and Training, described the “peacemakers” as “the front line.”

Marcus McAllister, the owner of McAllister Consultancy and Training, speaks about the community violence interruption component of the new “violence reduction plan.” | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

“They are going to do the stuff that all the programs or all the other services that don’t have to do,” McAllister said. “Don’t have no bulletproof vests, don’t have no guns. They’re out there using their know-how, their training and their reputation to stop something,” he added.

McAllister credited the “peacemakers” with successfully mediating a conflict between two individuals that could have escalated to “potentially shooting each other.”

The restorative justice component consists of having community conversations about the root causes of crime and having prosecutor-led diversion and police-led deflection programs.

GVPI Specialist Rachel Jacoby described the prosecutor-led diversion program as where the state’s attorney’s office “will defer those with non-violent offenses to programs where they receive support for substance-use treatment, mental health, and more, in exchange for their charges being dropped.”

“Our work in restorative justice aligns with the mission of the GVPI to address the root causes of gun violence here in Lake County,” Jacoby said.

“This includes expanding access to mental health services, investing in violence prevention, and conflict mediation work through the Lake County Peacemakers, offering mentorship services to high-risk youth and providing education and job training opportunities to individuals of the greatest risk of gun violence,” she said.

Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI) Specialist Rachel Jacoby speaks Tuesday afternoon on the new “violence reduction plan.” | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

“Restorative justice in the context of the gun violence prevention initiative is grounded in preventing unnecessary incarceration in criminal convictions for non-violent offenders and eliminating racial disparities in the legal system to reduce gun violence,” Jacoby added.

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The victim services component aims to provide free mental health services, like therapy and support groups, to victims and survivors of gun violence in Lake County.

“What we want to do in the GVPI is to expand on what we already have. To recognize the fact that to say, ‘you have closure’ is a fallacy, but instead to help people to understand that you can take what you have experienced and take that healing and convert it into a mission and a passion. And I can tell you that happens every day,” Sandra Bankston, the chief of the GVPI’s victim services, said.

Bankston said that the victim services component provides “trauma-informed therapy” for those affected by gun violence. She reiterated that the services are available at no cost for those impacted in Lake County.

Sandra Bankston, the chief of the GVPI’s victim services, speaks on the victim services component of the new “violence reduction plan.” | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

The firearm risk reduction component of the plan focuses on restricting firearms access for individuals at high risk of hurting themselves or others.

Elizabeth Leahy, of the Illinois State Police’s (ISP) Firearms Safety Council, spoke about this component.

“The Illinois State Police has worked closely with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office to expand the use of two important tools that fall under the firearm risk reduction bucket of this multi-faceted plan,” Leahy said.

The first tool ISP uses is clear and present danger reports, which allows individuals like police officials, school administrators and medical professionals to report a subject posing a clear and present danger to themselves or others.

The second tool is firearms restraining orders, which are civil court orders that prohibit a potentially dangerous subject from accessing firearms.

Leahy called both tools “highly effective.”

Elizabeth Leahy, of the Illinois State Police’s (ISP) Firearms Safety Council, speaks about the firearm risk reduction component of Lake County’s new “violence reduction plan.” | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Leahy said that the state police have provided training to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office about how the two tools work.

“Through the use of these tools, I know that we’ve prevented suicides, I know that we’ve prevented violent crime. And we do that by removing firearms before something terrible happens,” Leahy said.

Leahy said that the state police will continue to work closely with the state’s attorney’s office.

Congressman Brad Schneider also spoke at the press conference, recognizing the “amazing work” of the GVPI team.

Schneider said he is proud of bringing $3.6 million in federal funds to the GVPI.

“All of that came to this community because of the leadership we see in Lake County. And that awareness that the programs in Lake County can actually have a direct impact and be a role model for the rest of the country,” Schneider said.

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“This is about the future of our community. And if we can continue to do programs like the gun violence prevention initiative and continue to invest in education and continue to believe that the future of our kids matters, then we can do as Sandra noted – we can do what we have to do which is ensure our kids inherit the world as it should be, and as it could be, and not the way that it is today,” Schneider added.

Congressman Brad Schneider speaks Tuesday afternoon on the state’s attorney’s new “violence reduction plan.” | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

State Senator Adriane Johnson also offered remarks at the press conference, committing her support for Lake County’s initiative.

Johnson introduced Senate Bill 79, which would appropriate a $1 million grant to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for their “violence interrupter” program.

“By supporting the gun violence prevention initiative, we are one step closer to bringing justice and hope to these violent acts,” Johnson said.

State Senator Adriane Johnson speaks Tuesday afternoon on her support for Lake County’s gun violence prevention initiative (GVPI) and new “violence reduction plan.” | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Dylan Olthoff, Chief of Staff for State Representative Rita Mayfield, spoke on behalf of Mayfield.

“She really does cherish the tremendous and transformative work this GVPI does to actually making our communities safer and decreasing violence,” Olthoff said.

“Moving forward, Rep. Mayfield really does truly appreciate this partnership and she looks forward to building upon it in the future,” Olthoff added.

Dylan Olthoff, Chief of Staff for State Representative Rita Mayfield, speaks on behalf of Mayfield regarding Lake County’s gun violence prevention initiative (GVPI). | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Tierra Lemon, the director of the GVPI, recognized the work of her team and community partners with the initiative.

“One of the main goals of the GVPI is to foster collaborative approaches. And I must say, when I look at this plan, that is exactly what I see,” Lemon said.

“I hope that after hearing about each piece of our pizzle, you see that we are intentional of having a multi-disciplinary approach to preventing gun violence,” Lemon said as she closed the press conference. “Not only are we all experts in our way, we will continue to use our expertise in every space.”

Tierra Lemon, the director of the GVPI, speaks Tuesday afternoon about Lake County’s gun violence prevention initiative (GVPI). | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

“In the coming months, the GVPI will grow in both size and scope,” the plan said in its future priorities.

Officials are looking at launching firearm educational campaigns and hiring more people to join the GVPI’s victim services team.

The complete 45-page plan is available on the state’s attorney’s website.