Schools

Governor Quinn Signs Law to Create Violence Prevention Hotline for Chicago Public Schools


CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–August 9, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today joined religious and community leaders to tour Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood and sign legislation to create a violence prevention hotline for students at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The hotline allows students, parents and members of the community to anonymously provide information that may prevent violence.

“Preventing violence in our schools and in our communities will take input and action from everyone,” said Governor Quinn. “This law will help our school and law enforcement officials to get the information they need to keep our children and our communities safe.”

House Bill 4647 creates the CPS Violence Prevention Hotline. Under the new law, the Chicago Board of Education will work with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to create a hotline to receive anonymous phone calls for information that may prevent violence.

Calls that are placed to the hotline will be answered by the Chicago Police Department, which will record and investigate every call. Callers will be notified that they are being recorded. Information about the hotline, including the number, will be posted in all Chicago Public Schools.

The legislation passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously and was sponsored by Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) and Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago).

Governor Quinn was joined at the event by members of his recently-created Illinois Anti-Violence Commission. The commission is bringing a grassroots, community-based approach to confront the deadly violence facing many Illinois communities. The commission will hold hearings to gather testimony from community members and neighborhood groups as well as experts in violence prevention and law enforcement. It will submit a report on its findings in mid-November when the Illinois General Assembly reconvenes.

All of the members of the Illinois Anti-Violence Commission have lost a loved one to violence. Their personal experiences with deadly violence and its aftermath will inform their findings as they seek information about the growing impact of violence in Illinois communities and develop new, grassroots ideas for violence prevention.

 

Source: illinois.gov


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