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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN COOK COUNTY IN REGARDS TO GUN VIOLENCE IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, one month into the year, 2018 has seen 200 people shot and about 30 killed in the City of Chicago, and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago makes up about half of the population of Cook County, and
WHEREAS, in the last three years, Chicago has seen more than 10,800 people shot 1,800 killed by gun violence, a dramatic spike, and
WHEREAS, of those, roughly 80 percent were African American, and African Americans make up only about a third of Cook County's population, and
WHEREAS, the gun violence plaguing Chicago has become a public health epidemic, and
WHEREAS, only 17 percent of homicides resulted in criminal charges in 2017, and
WHEREAS, the gun violence in Chicago is concentrated in roughly ten neighborhoods, and
WHEREAS, government at all levels ought to focus all resources on those neighborhoods to fight this scourge of gun violence, and
WHEREAS, Cook County Government should ensure that all possible resources are directed at these communities, and
WHEREAS, those resources should include the Health and Hospitals System, which should utilize its staff and volunteers to provide trauma counseling, and
WHEREAS, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office should work to ensure that victims of violence receive as much assistance as possible, and
WHEREAS, Cook County should utilize faith-based leaders and the church community as first responders to respond to gun violence and as interveners to prevent gun violence, and
WHEREAS, nearly all County institutions are implicated in this rise of gun violence, and
WHEREAS, the City, County, State and Federal governments should work together on this important issue, and
WHEREAS, the level of gun violence in Cook County and Chicago has risen dramatically in recent years, and it has now reached a public health epidemic.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the President and Cook County Board of Comm...
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