CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel cited the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Demario Bailey over the weekend as an example of why the city needs to stay focused on giving young people opportunities to stay safe Tuesday.
"The two Bailey brothers were on their way to basketball; one played, one didn’t. They were going to another activity. We have to give our kids that opportunity," Emanuel said. "We have to give them that capacity. And we have to — more importantly than our kids — we have to give [Demario's mother] Delores the confidence that her kids can do that."
"Every child in the city of Chicago deserves a childhood, and that childhood can not be stolen from them. Every adolescent deserves their adolescence free of violence. We will not be the city we can be unless everyone of us feels as if that’s one of our own that’s been taken from us in the way that’s intimately felt by Dolores," Emanuel said.
Emanuel made the comments at a meeting discussing the strategic plan for a safer Chicago at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
The Saturday homicide was a reminder of the urgency "to make sure that our kids have the resources, the passion and the space to grow up and be productive citizens, he said.
Four teens have been charged with killing Demario.
Since the fatal shooting, Emanuel has met with Delores Bailey and talked on the phone with her multiple times.
"Her strength is a reminder that the city is full of great kids seeking guidance, and the city should rally behind her to keep their own children safe," he said.
"We have good kids, and to those we need to provide the opportunity to continue to grow. And we have other kids who need the passion and love of this city to get right," Emanuel said.
The Commission for a Safer Chicago is a coalition of 130 city staff members, community leaders, faith leaders, parents and youth brought together to update how the city plans to address violence. It focuses its strategies to identify and intervene with youths who are at risk of becoming involved in the city's culture of violence.
"This has been such a great experience. People from across our city came together, not just to talk about the problem of violence, but to roll up their sleeves and work side by side with the city to develop meaningful solutions," said Evelyn Diaz, commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services.
The commission focuses on five areas to address youth violence: youth employment, health and healing, creating restorative school communities, safety and justice, and safe spaces and safe activities.
The discussion already has yielded several anti-violence initiatives, including $50,000 for Youth Peace Grants and expanded fugitive apprehension partnership between the Chicago Police Department and State Police.
"Violence prevention isn't just the city's responsibility, it is all of our responsibility," said the Rev. L. Bernard Jakes, senior pastor of West Point Missionary Baptist Church.
"I really think this is a call to action. Whatever, your passion, wherever in the city you live, there is a way to be involved in the solutions that are part of this plan. We thank the mayor for convening this group, for listening to what the community has to say, and for working with us to implement these ideas," Jakes said.
The full report and executive summary is available here.
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