MOLINE, Ill. — Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an expansion on Friday, Dec. 10 to the Reimagine Public Safety Act. It's one way the Pritzker said Illinois is taking a stand against gun violence.
"Too much tragedy, too much loss," he said during the Friday news conference announcing the act. "We're all here to say enough is enough."
The expansion will make $250 million available to communities across the state of Illinois to fight against gun violence.
Pritzker said the money will go toward "education and employment in human services and mental health in communities that have been truly forgotten."
The State's violence prevention approach includes four pillars:
- High-risk youth intervention.
- Violence-prevention services.
- Youth-development programs.
- Trauma-recovery services.
Davenport-based social services organization Family Resources said there is a need for these types of programs in the Quad Cities area.
"We are definitely noticing that those involved in gun crimes are getting younger and younger," Family Resources' Homicide and Other Violent Crimes Supervisor Tee LeShoure said. "The sooner that we involve social services, law enforcement, the community … the sooner that we get involved in those communities, we can kind of work to wrap those services around those individuals, families and community members."
Illinois Rep. Mike Halpin said the local area will likely not see any of these funds despite the need.
"This bill probably won't have a huge impact on the Illinois Quad Cities," he said. "Mainly because our cities don't have that real concentrated gun violence that some of our other communities, particularly in Chicago are seeing."
Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said, though the Illinois Quad Cities may not see the same issues of gun violence as Chicago and other cities, his department could still benefit from an expansion to these services.
"Law enforcement is not in this alone," Gault said. "We are a piece of the puzzle in this community. We're always looking for someone else to be a part of that, and these social service programs are certainly very important."
Local communities and organizations were still encouraged to apply for the grant money. Pritzker said the money will be dispersed to organizations that provide evidence-based need.
According to the State Department of Public Health, 1 in 3 deaths in Illinois among those ages 15-24 involved a gun in 2020. Department Director Ngozi Ezike said gun violence is preventable and this act will help work to identify the root causes of gun violence.