Lightfoot announces $1-million fund to reward Chicago residents for illegal gun tips
CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is creating a one-million dollar reward fund to try to get guns off city streets.
At a press conference on Thursday, Mayor Lightfoot said Chicago is experiencing too much bloodshed, trauma and funerals – in part because of too many illegal guns on the streets.
"If they are in a house, down the block in a car, in a secret stash – we are calling on our residents to overcome their fears," she said.
Mayor Lightfoot announced a one-million dollar reward fund for information leading to the seizure of illegal firearms. She says in order to combat Chicago’s ongoing violence, it will indeed take a village.
Solomon is 19-year-old and works three jobs, but unfortunately feels his life may be cut short because of Chicago’s ongoing senseless violence.
"I’ve gotten… man you look like "him" so many times," he said.
Chicago Police have taken in 6300 firearms this year, but with 382 people murdered and close to 2,200 people shot half way through 2021, Lightfoot says gun violence continues to plague our great city.
The mayor said the Chicago Police Department is making progress, claiming data shows homicides and shootings are down. However, this year has been the deadliest in more than a decade.
Community Activist Pastor Ira Acree commends the mayor on the new initiative but he also says in order for transparency to happen within the community, it must also occur within the police department.
"Police department, they have a problem within themselves. Police won't tell on other police officers," he said. "If it's wrong for people in the neighborhood to turn their head, it's certainly wrong when police officers turn their head."
Mayor Lightfoot hopes this million dollar investment will get community leaders and residents to speak up. Specific details about the fund are expected to be released in the days ahead.
Pastor Acree and other community leaders want to know how residents will be kept safe if they do share information with Chicago police.