Mayor Brandon Johnson convenes CPD And CVI Leaders For Community Safety Roundtable

CHICAGO - In case you missed it, today, Mayor Brandon Johnson brought together Community Violence Intervention (CVI) workers, Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers, and City leaders for a roundtable conversation which dug into the collaborative work CPD and CVI organizations engaged in over the past year. Mayor Johnson engaged with 5th Police District Commander Karla Johnson and leaders from five CVI organizations working on the Far South Side to gain a better understanding of what worked, where there's room for growth, and how the City can better support CPD officers and CVI professionals working day-in-day-out work to build safer communities.

Video of the full roundtable discussion is available for media use here.

Photos from the event can be accessed here.

"Chicago is strongest when law enforcement and community partners come together and work towards the shared goal of keeping our neighborhoods peaceful and safe," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Conversations like this one are what has been missing from anti-violence strategies in the past. As we continue to drive violence down across Chicago, it's critical that our police officers can act as true partners in the communities they serve. The better we understand what support Chicagoans leading the charge on the ground need, the better equipped we'll be to maintain the progress we've seen and save more lives."

Leaders from UCAN, Acclivus, Phalanx, Chicago CRED, and the Far South Chicago Coalition joined Cmdr. Johnson and 5th District leadership for the roundtable held at the District Headquarters in Pullman, which also included members of the Mayor's Office of Community Safety (MOCS) who've helped facilitate increased collaboration in recent years.

"Ensuring CPD and CVI workers have the tools they need to work in partnership is central to our work of building up the city-wide infrastructure we need to keep driving down violence," said Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood. "The collaboration between CPD's 5th District leadership and local CVI groups has been incredibly effective, addressing local hot spots and community needs while preventing potential violent incidents before they happen. We will continue to build on this progress as we work to address the challenges our communities face."

The conversation focused on the strengths of effective communication and collaboration, while identifying areas of growth that will allow CPD & CVI to continue expanding transformative violence reduction efforts.

Coordination between CVI workers and CPD officers has resulted in unified efforts to reduce opportunities for violence in the 5th District, particularly in communities such as the Altgeld Gardens Apartments.

CPD has provided CVI teams with critical information on hotspots and insights into potential conflicts, equipping peacekeepers with the information needed to defuse situations. CPD has also supported CVI-led community activations by providing presence and assistance during events such as toy drives, food giveaways, and other programs.

The 5th District, which is among the most troubled police beats in the city, underwent large declines in crime and violence during 2025. Homicides decreased by 36.6%, shootings fell 44.2%, multi-victim shootings dropped 52.9%, and robberies decreased 21.9%.

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