Mayor Brandon Johnson Prioritizes Community Violence Intervention in Proposed Fair Share Budget

October 27, 2026

Mayor Brandon Johnson recently shared remarks on his proposed FY27 Fair Share Budget, prioritizing Community Violence Intervention (CVI) strategies to sustain city-wide declines in violent crime.

“The Fair Share Budget continues putting our vision into action—uniting City departments to prevent violence, supporting our police officers in protecting communities and solving crimes, and investing in trusted community leaders who stop violence before it starts,” shared Mayor Johnson. “Building safer communities requires more than coordination. It requires investing in the people who know their communities best.”

The budget proposal from Mayor Johnson comes soon after reports released by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) and the Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research and Science (CORNERS) demonstrated CVI’s remarkable influence in driving down rates of homicide and violent crimes in Chicago and across the nation. Sustained funding on a city-level is crucial to maintaining these historic gains in peace and safety for Chicago’s residents.

In his remarks, Mayor Johnson touched on the stories of two credible messengers from Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI) who have turned their lived experiences with violence and incarceration into serving as valuable peacekeepers in high-risk neighborhoods: Associate Director of the Crisis Prevention & Response Unit (CPRU) James Mitchell and Senior Manager of Field Operations Billy “Bo” Deal. Both Mitchell and Deal serve as proof of Communities Partnering 4 Peace’s vision and mission to transform neighborhoods from the inside out, through the influence and expertise of those who know the struggles of violence and disinvestment firsthand.

“These are trusted leaders who show up for their neighbors, interrupt cycles of violence, and save lives,” Mayor Johnson remarked. “Our record high community investments in people pay off in the form of record low rates of violence for whole communities.

“Last year’s investment in street outreach has supported CVI teams across 38 communities,” the Mayor continued. “These teams have resolved nearly 2,600 conflicts, preventing situations from escalating into violence. That is the promise of our Fair Share Budget: giving every community the resources needed to build the peace, safety, and future they and their children deserve.”

Read Mayor Johnson’s full remarks here.