Pfleger: “Vanish violence for 2011”

by Chinta Strausberg

For 2011, Police Supt. Jody Weis is cracking down on shooters and expanding his partnerships with the community he says is key in reducing the violence that continues to trap our children in the cross fires of gang warfare.

Vowing to continue his fight to reduce gun violence and to offer rewards leading to the arrest and conviction of shooters, Saint Sabina’s Father Michael L. Pfleger, who works closely with Weis and other pastors, said while the crime numbers for 2010 were down they are quickly being replaced by new numbers in 2011.

‘It is up to all of us, police and civilians to decide that we not only want the numbers of murders to decrease but we want them to vanish,” said Pfleger. “As I always say, violence stops when we stop it.”

Parents are urged to search their children’s bedrooms including under their mattresses and beds, in their backyards and the trees for weapons of mass destruction. Parents can call the police and they will take them with no questions asked. You may also call Father Pfleger at: 773-483-4300 or your pastor, but you need to help rid the streets of these illegal guns.

Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said his greatest help will come from the community and the end to the “code of silence” that provides cover for murderers and gangbangers who prey on our children.

The following is a statement issued exclusively to the “Challenge Magazine” by Lt. Maureen C. Biggane, Commanding Officer, Chicago Police News Affairs, on behalf of Weis.

“The Chicago Police Department’s vision for 2011 will be driven by the desire to further reduce the city’s homicide rate, maintain the decrease in total crime, and combat youth violence,” read the statement.  “The key to further reducing this year’s historic crime drops in 2011 is sustaining the momentum achieved in our strategies, relationships and commitments in 2010.

“Ridding our neighborhoods of gun violence will remain a priority; we are committed to getting guns off the streets through every available strategy,” the statement added. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Chicago Police Department, more than 7,900 guns were taken off the streets in 2010.”

More than 23,000 guns have been turned in to date. The 2011 Gun Turn-in is now in the initial planning stages.

A strong partnership with the community is the best offense against violence and quality of life issues in neighborhoods. Building and strengthening relationships with the community is and will remain a top priority. The code of silence needs to be shattered, as it only protects criminals.

Legislation is another avenue to reduce gun violence.  Recent amendment to the Illinois Criminal Code now mandates a one year prison term for a person 18 years of age or older, who is convicted of a gun-related crime when there is no a valid Firearms Owner Identification Card.

I agree with Supt. Weiss because these senseless shootings are giving Chicago a black-eye it does not deserve.

When will this violence end? When will lawmakers pass “commonsense” gun laws that limit the number of weapons purchased, restrict  a person to buying one gun a month, reinstate the assault weapon ban, mandate that all gun sales include a background check of the buyer, and make criminal gun data public?

When lawmakers do that, it will put a big dent in the number of shootings. The question is how many more of our children and our police will have to die before lawmakers  do the right thing?

Father Pfleger is correct when he says while the crime numbers were down, according to police officials, new numbers of shootings and killings keep rolling into 2011.