Chicago Politics

Summer Safety Presser 5.21.26

Legislation

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the 2026 Summer Safety Press Conference.

Transcript

0:00 I am Fr. Dave Kelly from Pressure Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, and on behalf of our community partners, our residents, faith leaders, and youth, families, we are honored to welcome you, Mayor Johnson, to the Back of the Yards community. And all guests come here to launch this summer safety strategy for the Back of the Yards community across our city. But today is more than programs and plans, it's about people. It's about standing united in a common purpose, creating safe, healthy, hopeful neighborhoods

0:31 where every child, every family, and every resident is valued, respected, and included. We are mindful today of our fallen firefighters Stephen Decker and Michael Altman, both who died while on duty and our police officer, John Bartholomew who was killed while on duty as well we pray for their families we pray for their fellow police and firefighters and for the city of Chicago we pray too for all who have lost a loved one to violence

1:02 and to those who have lost a loved one to incarceration we gather today for this wellness event to take care of one another and so let us pray creator god we are grateful to you as we gather in a spirit of unity of service and hope we ask for your blessings upon this gathering upon our city leaders community organizations police first responders firefighters schools churches parents but especially for our children who are

1:35 at the heart of our future guide us as we work together with wisdom compassion and courage Help us to build bridges across every neighborhood, culture, language, and background so that all people feel seen, heard, respected, and included. Let equity and justice lead our decisions, and let love for one another strengthen our communities. We pray for peace throughout the Back of the Yards community and the entire city of Chicago. Protect our children and our youth as they learn, work, play, and grow.

2:11 Surround our families with safety, opportunity, healing, and support. Comfort those afflicted by violence. Inspire each of us to become instruments of peace and reconciliation. Bless the efforts of every person working to create safer streets, stronger families, and brighter futures. May this summer be filled with joy instead of fear, opportunity instead of hardship, and unity instead of division. And Lord, bless all who serve this city in whatever capacity.

2:43 Grant them wisdom, integrity, and a heart for all people as they lead with compassion and purpose. Together, let us move forward with faith, hope, and a shared commitment to build a safer and more united Chicago for everyone. Amen. Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Andre, my pleasure.

3:18 And right before I go, actually, I want to introduce our fearless leader, the visionary behind all this, Mayor Brandon Johnson. Thank you to our deputy mayor, Andre, who you'll hear from shortly. Thank you to Father Kelly for that prayer. And good afternoon, everyone. It's really good to see so many Chicago Bears fans out here today. All right. Hang in there.

3:49 But in all sincerity, before I begin, I do want to acknowledge our city's profound loss of yet another first responder, Chicago firefighter Stephen Decker, who will be laid to rest on tomorrow. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones and with the Chicago Fire Department as they grieve and as we grieve together this loss. We are deeply grateful for the first responders like Stephen Decker, who are committed to keeping our communities and our residents safe. We're here today in the new city Back of the Yards neighborhood to mark a very precious season.

4:28 It's the unofficial start of the summer. A moment for us to recommit our city to a citywide mission of keeping residents in our neighborhood safe and supporting our residents in the coming months. This work takes all of us. I'm grateful to be standing alongside city and community leaders today, demonstrating the full force of government approach that's centered around our community. We believe that safety is built through trust, partnership, investment in people.

5:00 and communities and creating a true sense of belonging. Belonging in a community means that every resident feels seen and valued by the city and they feel invested in ensuring that we are investing in the well-being of their neighborhoods. This helps residents feel connected to one another and united in our shared mission in building safer and more thriving communities. Last summer was Chicago's safest summer in 60 years. And this summer, we will continue leaning into what works, our partnerships, our investments, and, of course, coordination.

5:39 All city departments are coordinated in their roles to build safer communities. In a few minutes, you're going to hear from Superintendent Larry Snelling, who will share more about the police department's plans for the summer. You'll hear from the first deputy commissioner, Brandon Keller, who will highlight the fire department's efforts. In addition to the work of our first responders, the Department of Streets and Sanitation keeps our streets green, spaces and public spaces clean and safe.

6:09 The Department of Family and Support Services leads many of our youth engagement and employment programs. And D-CASE and OEMC partner together to ensure our cherished summer traditions and events are safe and fun. Every single city department is engaged in the work of investing in people and places, creating safe spaces for young people, and serving our residents. Every youth basketball game and art program, every community-centered celebration, every job fair and resource fair that we host is leading towards safer communities.

6:43 We are coordinated across city departments and with Chicago's community violence intervention and prevention groups, outreach and engagement teams, youth groups, community organizations, businesses, and most importantly, our residents. Community organizations like Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation and the many others that are represented at today's health and wellness resource fair are essential partners in violence prevention and healing and community safety as a whole. And I want to thank the community partners who are here today and those across the city

7:13 who are committed to our communities in partnerships with the city. Together we will work to prevent violence, create opportunities for residents, ensure our residents have access to support and engagement in our communities. That's the mission that we are on to build the safest, most affordable big city in America. And we will do this work with a hyper-focus on the neighborhoods that have experienced historic disinvestment and as a result now experiencing higher rates of crime and violence. That's what brings us in back of the yards today with a health

7:46 and wellness resource fair to let this community know that you are seen. The full force of government is here today offering resources from CDOT to water management to CDPH, CHA, and others. Along with our city clerk, we're grateful for Anna Valencia for being here. Please give her a warm round of applause. Thank you, Anna. And I know that our state senator, Maddie Hunter, is working hard for the people in Springfield and all of our partners. Creating safer neighborhoods means investing in trauma-informed and place-based health and wellness resources, including mental health resources.

8:23 It also means investing in affordable housing, environmental justice, economic opportunities, education, small businesses, public transportation, parks, public spaces, and other community assets that enable our residents to thrive. And that is the work that we will continue to do this summer. In closing, I want to again thank and express my gratitude to all of our partners from faith, community, youth groups, businesses and violence prevention groups and more who are committed to building safer communities. City government alone cannot invest in and support our residents and places alone.

8:55 So thank you to our partners. I also want to thank the city department leaders that are all here today, the employees who lead our coordinated whole of government approach to serve our people. We know that our many communities over the summer can experience fear, pain, and loss. We do not take that lightly. But today is a reminder that Chicago is meeting this moment together. And together we will keep doing the work of supporting young people, residents, and communities.

9:27 And together we will build a safer, more united city. Thank you all very much. And with that, please welcome to the podium our Deputy Mayor, Mr. Emanuel Andres. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. As we enter the summer season, I want to thank once again Mayor Brandon Johnson for his leadership.

10:00 commitment to driving real lasting safety across our city. Mayor's Mental Health Month reminding us that safety is deeply tied to our collective well-being. Mayor Johnson and his administration is issuing the collective core, community and belonging. A shared invitation for everyone to step into meaningful relationship with one another and take collective responsibility for our blocks. This call centers on three core values, accountability, agency, and accessibility.

10:39 First accountability requires relationship. It is through relationship that we bring a presence of belonging to every block. We are committed to learning from the lessons of our past driven by rigorous data and real voices of people on the ground to better inform a safer future. This summer, our work focuses on four strategic pillars, one, nimble youth engagement, two,

11:13 two, gender-based violence prevention, three, community violence intervention, and then reentry support and victim services. When patterns of harm emerge, we will respond by mobilizing faith partners, intergenerational mentors, and resources to de-escalate tension while ensuring vital mental health support is accessible for frontline workers and their families. Second, agency means charging the community to lead the way. Now, teen trends

11:50 are a hot button issue. And if we're serious about safety, we must take youth voices and parental engagement seriously. Central child strategy is our continued investment in families, youth peacekeeping, and expanded summer employment. And third, accessibility means government must be easy to reach and quick to move. We are expanding access across key infrastructures like our public libraries,

12:22 ensuring city assets are fully leveraged to support our neighborhoods and stabilize our blocks in real time. Resourcing our blocks allows communities to define their own healing. We are here to learn from residents, lift up local leadership, and invest in healing frameworks that people on the ground have been building for years. It's how we transform grief into a tapestry of belonging.

12:52 It's why we are here today, in memorial of the lives we've lost, and encourage the health and wellness of those still working to right the wrongs. This summer, the city of Chicago is increasing coordination across agencies to focus resources and public safety efforts in neighborhoods experiencing the greatest harm and instability. Today's community wellness fairs brings together agencies including the Chicago Department of Public Health,

13:24 CTA, Chicago Housing Authority, and several city-funded community partners to demonstrate how they keep blocks safe and connect residents to services. This effort reflects a citywide commitment to safety rooted in coordination, investment, and care. Summer safety takes all Chicagoans. Joining neighborhood block clubs, checking in on neighbors, and creating safe places where youth can find joy.

13:56 Now, a call only works if the person on the other side trusts the connection and chooses to pick up. Chicago survivors have dialed the number. This is a path that should not be walked alone. Now, in 77 neighborhoods, but one Chicago, let's answer this call together. Thank you. And I now call Superintendent Larry Snelling to talk more about our summer strategies.

14:32 Good afternoon. Good afternoon. First of all, let me thank everybody. Let me thank the mayor for bringing everyone here together for this press conference. And thank you, Deputy Mayor, newly appointed. Look forward to working with you throughout this summer. And I have to thank everybody here, all of our city partners, city agencies, and all of the people who are standing here from the communities, from the neighborhoods, and all of those. We actually care about what happens in your communities. It's important to see you here and the effect that you have on your own communities.

15:07 As a police department, we know we cannot do it alone, and that goes for every agency here. The partnership with everyone here is the most important thing, so thank you for being here. On behalf of the Chicago Police Department, I really have to send out my condolences to the fire department and the family of engineer Stephen Decker. We stand with our partners at the fire department. Also, cannot forget about the recent loss of Officer John Bartholomew and standing with his family

15:42 and our Officer Nelson Crespo, who was catastrophically injured in that same event. So just want to make sure that we're reaching out, letting people know that we do not forget. But as summer begins, we know we see an increase in activity, and we see it at some of the busiest places, our parks, our beaches, our downtown areas, our neighborhoods. It's important for the Chicago Police Department to make sure that we're there working with

16:14 community. If we're not working with community, things break down. We have to be partners in this. Through this, we make adjustments in our public safety efforts to accommodate the increase in large-scale events and tourism. Our safety strategy builds a foundation we have set throughout the past years. Flexibility remains the foundation of how we allocate police resources to combat crime patterns and trends that may pop up, no matter what the season, no matter what the neighborhood.

16:47 We adjust our resources based on data analysis, and we're seeing where we're seeing crime occur. Our district commanders and deputy chiefs in the Bureau of Patrol have extensive knowledge about their respective areas. And they work to ensure that their officers are working alongside our community members to combat crime and address public safety concerns before they escalate. Our goal is always to be proactive versus reactive, because if we're proactive, we prevent things.

17:22 When we're reactive, we're responding to things that have already occurred. Throughout the summer and all year, our Bureau of Patrol, Bureau of Detectives, and Bureau of Counterterrorism will work hand-in-hand with each other to share resources and conduct targeted missions to reduce violent crimes across the city. We will also have additional resources deployed in our business areas, like the beaches, our busiest areas, like the beaches, the lakefront, downtown, our business corridors throughout the entire summer.

17:54 In partnership with our fellow city agencies, we're also preparing for major events like Sueños Fest, the Pride Weekend, the Taste of Chicago, Lollapalooza, and Bud Billiken. We're also preparing for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. This will attract people not only from Chicago, but from across the entire country and the world. We're working alongside our federal and local partners to ensure the opening in June is secure for all attendees,

18:29 as well as those who live and work in the area. Just as we do all year, we will be working closely with our fellow city partners, including the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, which will also have a summer operations center open to coordinate and deploy city resources. Now, moving forward, the important thing throughout the summer is to make sure that we're protecting our youth.

18:59 And it's going to be incumbent upon everyone to get involved when we're protecting our youth. As you heard Deputy Mayor Andre mentioned earlier, and the mayor mentioned, that we have to have parental connection. We have to have connection from all of our city agencies and all of our communities. All of our community who engage with youth. It's important to make sure that we're keeping them safe.

19:31 They need guidance, they need leadership, and we all have to be there for them, and that's what we plan to do throughout this summer. As we move forward, the Chicago Police Department is willing, ready, and able to work alongside everyone who is laser-focused on community safety and community connection. With that... I want to say thank you again to everyone here. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for everyone who is standing with us here today.

20:04 And with that, I would like to introduce First Deputy Fire Commissioner, Brandon Keller. Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. As we welcome the summer season, I want to thank everyone for being here today and for doing your part to help keep all residents safe.

20:34 Summer is a time for family gatherings, cookouts, celebrations, and celebrations, but it's also a time when we must stay alert and prepared. Let's start with the heat. When temperatures climb, the risk of heat exhaustion and heat strokes climb, especially for seniors, young children, and those with medical conditions. Limit outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day, drink water regularly, and and check on your family members, seniors, elderly neighbors, and friends.

21:06 And please never leave a child or pet in a parked car, not even for a minute. Water safety is also essential. Whether you are visiting pools, beaches, or lakes, always supervise children closely, swim with a buddy, and wear life jackets when boating or participating in water activities. A fun day in the water should never turn into tragedy. We also want to address fire hydrants. Opening them may seem harmless, but it drops water pressure and can delay emergency response.

21:38 If you spot an open hydrant, call 311 and let us handle it, please. At the grill, keep it at least 10 feet away from structures. Never bring it indoors and stay present while it's lit. Check your gas connections and avoid lighter fluid or other flammable liquids to revive a dying flame. And always make sure coals or flames are fully extinguished after use. We also want everyone to celebrate responsibly when it comes to fireworks.

22:11 Fireworks can cause serious injuries and fires in seconds. Leave fireworks to train professionals. keep children away from sparklers and other fireworks, and attend local and public displays whenever possible. This summer, let's look out for one another. Prevention awareness and looking out for one another can save lives. Thank you all. And now we'll bring to the podium Commissioner Angela Green, Department of Family and Support Services.

22:48 Thank you, First Deputy Keller, for the introduction. And hello, everyone. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Thank you. As First Deputy said, my name is Angela Green, and it is my distinct honor and pleasure to serve as the city's commissioner for the Department of Family Support Services. But I do want to begin by saying thank you to Mayor Johnson. Thank you for your leadership, and thank you for your commitment to ensuring that our youth not only have activities, but they are safe and they are employed. So thank you for that, sir.

23:18 It's okay to clap. And also thank you, Deputy Mayor Andre. I am excited to be able to get working with you. Thank you for joining our forces. Thank you, sir. This summer, we do want every young person in Chicago to connect with safe, engaging, and youth-centered opportunities that help them discover their talents, build new skills, explore their passions, and grow into who they choose to become.

23:49 We know that these opportunities for youth matter. Studies here in Chicago and across the country show that youth development programs and youth employment are directly connected to violence reduction. Chicago's youth programs are not only changing lives, but we are contributing to reducing violence. A 2023 study policy briefed by the United States Economic Committee found that participants right here in Chicago's youth employment programs were 43 percent less likely to be victims of violent crime and 79 percent less likely to be arrested for a shooting or homicide compared to a control group when they participated in youth employment programs.

24:32 So following the significant decreases that we've seen in homicides, as well as in violent crime in Chicago last year, our department is ready to build on that momentum and deliver another summer packed with outstanding youth programs that enriches our young people's lives and help to keep our city safe. With that in mind, I'm excited to be able to share. I want to share with you all some information about two specific youth initiatives that are available this summer. First, Chicago Youth Works, previously known as One Summer Chicago,

25:08 but Chicago Youth Works will provide paid opportunities to young people from June 22nd through July 31st. Chicago Youth Works equips young people in Chicago between the ages of 14 and 24 with necessary skills and knowledge for their future careers while allowing them to earn either a stipend or a paycheck. Now, we couldn't offer these amazing opportunities without the partnership with our nonprofit, our private sector, and sister agencies.

25:39 And some of those sister agencies include Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority, the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, all of those and many more help to deliver these summer experiences. And other partners include Lincoln Park Zoo, Forest Preserves of Cook County, as well as companies like J.P. Morgan Chase and Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Through the city's $49 million investment, we aim to hire 29,000 youth this year.

26:15 The deadline to apply for summer employment is May 29th, so you only have eight days. But if you are a youth who is interested in applying or if you're an employer, you're interested in being a partner with us, please go to our website, chicagoyouthworks.org, to find out more information and to apply. So the second initiative that we have available this summer and year-round is the MyShi, MyFuture Safe Spaces program,

26:48 where we fund 15 community-based organizations to create safe spaces where youth develop and host safe, structured, enriching activities that are free for young people. These activities occur outside of the classroom, during weekends, and while our youth are on school breaks. So last year, these organizations employed more than 225 young people who were able to engage 15,000 youth through Safe Spaces events that our youth call kickback events.

27:21 And we've done it all throughout the city. And I'm excited to share with you that we are going to do it again this year with over 80 youth-led Safe Spaces events held throughout the summer in Chicago. So any youth or your family members, if you want to learn more about these Safe Spaces events happening right here in your community now or along the summertime, please go onto our website, which is myshymyfuture.org.

27:52 MyShyMyFuture.org So I sincerely thank you for joining us today as we center youth safety and enrichment this summer and all year round. And it is with that that it is my pleasure to introduce Sam Castro, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. Sam? Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon.

28:22 So I want to say that, thank you for the intro, sister. I do work for the Institute for Nonviolence and Slash with my people from Precious Blood Ministry, who I love. Well, as my people were saying, we have to recognize that our beautiful city of Chicago had the lowest violence in 60 years, right? That is amazing. Before I was born, it's been that long, right?

28:53 And I also have to mention that I have the honor to speak on behalf of community violence organizations, not only in precious blood back of the yard, but across the city of Chicago. I'm representing one team, one voice. CVI played a key role in this violence reduction in the city. I need to recognize that and I need to share, right? It's part of the ecosystem. We didn't do it alone. We did it with our partners. We are not on autopilot, right?

29:27 We are not done yet. I'm going to speak for everyone, and if anybody want to have a sidebar conversation, we can do that later. But one lost life to gun violence is too much, right? So that's what I'm saying. We're not done. We've seen an uptick in violence in several communities. So one of the things that I want to share that we changed our strategy. So now... We added an extra day to the Peacekeeper. These are people in the community that are stipend pay program to help us reduce violence.

29:59 That means we also extended the hours and the days for outreach workers to work with them. We also want to share that we are working with the highest risk, high rewards. This is what happens, right? We know that CVI works, and thank you. So I need to also recognize and say I want to thank all my partners for doing the hard work and being relentless. I need to thank our mayor and also city, county, and state leaders for recognizing and supporting the importance of CVI as part of the public safety strategy.

30:36 Please share now that you know, and the people of Chicago need to know that there is a plan, and we're working towards it. Thank you all. Peace and blessings. I will now pass it to my sister, Monte. Buenas tardes. Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. So today is more about community safety. It's about reminding our people that collective care is also violence prevention.

31:09 As we're getting closer to the summertime in Chicago, we all know what can happen when it gets warmer out. We've already experienced violence nearby in our communities. And on top of that, our young people and families are caring so much. They lived through COVID throughout some of their most formative years, being forced to seclusion to whatever safe spaces it could find, being bombarded by news, media coverage, and tech all day long. And many of our immigrant families are still navigating fear and uncertainty

31:42 after the Midway Blitz operations and continued ICE and CBP activity in our communities. We've got to keep these things in mind, because our people are tired, young people are overwhelmed, and some of our families are disconnected. And that's exactly why we cannot afford to disengage from community this summer. Every single one of us has a role to play. And when I'm talking about every single one of us, I don't just mean organizations or city officials.

32:13 Not just schools, churches, and nonprofits, but everyday people like you and I. The way that we check in on our neighbors, the way we speak to our young people, the way we create places where people feel safe, seen, understood, but deeply connected matters. Because many times, violence prevention can start with something as simple as someone feeling like they belong somewhere. That's why spaces like this matter. We have to meet people where they're at.

32:44 We can't keep expecting folks to come into buildings and rely on the traditional outreach and tabling. We got to do something different. We have to bring healing, joy, laughter, resources, and connections directly to the blocks. Whether it's basketball, video gaming, breaking bread, music, blood pressure checks, eye exams, mini massage sessions, yoga chair, sipping and painting on juice, right?

33:16 All those little things matter. They matter because they create the opportunities and conditions for people to not just reconnect with themselves, but with each other on the block. This summer, we have to challenge ourselves to know the people in our neighborhood, to support the local events going on, to check in on our young people, and to create spaces where families feel welcomed and not just a number, whether it's 40 people or 400 people.

33:48 Because a peaceful summer is not going to happen by accident. It's going to happen because all of us here decided to show up for one another. Thank you. So I don't want to forget our Spanish-speaking families and Chicagoans out there, so I'm going to be really brief. And prior, I do want to make sure that I'm thanking all of our partners here, everyone here from everyday people that I see in the crowd to our partners behind us, because we need to keep showing up every summer, not just this summer, right, or the summers before.

34:23 This is a long-term commitment. So hoy se trata de mucho más que seguridad durante el verano. It's about to remind people that the community care is also prevention of violence. While we are approaching another summer in Chicago, we all know what can happen when it starts to feel a bit of heat. We have experienced violence in our neighbors in Carnos. And above all, our families and young people... ...están cargando muchísimo ahora. Vivieron durante la pandemia de COVID,

34:54 durante algunos de sus años más importantes de sus vidas. Fueron forzados al aislamiento, buscando refugio en cualquier espacio seguro que podían encontrar. Mientras eran bombardeados todo el día por noticias, redes sociales y tecnología. Y muchas de nuestras familias inmigrantes todavía siguen navegando the fear and the fear after the operation of Midway Blitz.

35:25 We all have a role in playing. Not only the organizations, not only our employees or electors, not only the schools, churches and organizations, but the common people. The way we check our neighbors, the way we talk with our young people, the way we create spaces where people feel seen, safe, and, more than anything, connected, is important. Because, many times, prevention of violence begins with something so simple

35:59 that someone feels that he belongs to a place. That's why these spaces like this, important. We have to find ourselves with the people where they are. We can't wait for people to come to buildings or only depending on the outreach additional and the informational tables. We have to do something different. We have to do something different. We have to do some of our energy, resources and connection directly to the quadras. Ya sea basketball, video games, food, music,

36:32 pressure checks, examines of view, mini-massages, acupunture, yoga in the seat or painting while we're there with our little sugar. all that matters because it creates the opportunities and conditions so that people can connect only with themselves but between each other this summer we have to challenge us to meet the people of our squad to support local events to ask our young people how they feel

37:02 and to create spaces where families feel welcome and not just like a number I'll pass the mic to our General Superintendent, Carlos Ramiro-Rosa.

37:32 Thank you so much, Monse. Good afternoon. My name is Carlos Ramiro-Rosa, and I serve as the General Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer of our wonderful Chicago Park District. And it's a beautiful day to be in a park, and starting tomorrow, it's going to be a beautiful day to be at one of our 22 beaches, as our beaches will open tomorrow for the season and remain open and staffed from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day. As we prepare to open up our beaches, which are central to our experience during summertime in Chicago,

38:04 we at the Chicago Park District want to provide some important reminders to the public. Remember, swim only when lifeguards are in duty in designated swim areas. Consult the flag notification system. Do not enter the water when the flag is red. And please, please, please follow our lifeguards' instructions. They are trained to keep you safe in and around water. In addition to our aquatic staff, which will be out keeping our pools and our beaches safe, we will also be joined by members of our Department of Public Safety at the Chicago Park District,

38:36 who will have a beach mobile unit that will have prominently marked vehicles patrolling the lakefront daily during beach hours of operation. And we are, of course, so grateful to the Chicago Police Department for partnering with our staff and partnering with our Department of Public Safety to keep our parks, our patrons, and our families safe. As we move into Memorial Day weekend, we also want to urge all of our patrons and all of our wonderful Chicago families to please celebrate safely. And to help you do that, we will have 57 park fieldhouses open across the city on Monday, May 25th, Memorial Day, to provide access to public restrooms and to other basic amenities, as well as a place where you can get some shade, some respite, and talk to some of our wonderful staff.

39:19 Hours of operation will vary by location, and you can get more details at chicagoparkdistrict.com. The remainder of our facilities will be closed in observance of the holiday, but outdoor spaces will remain open for everyone to enjoy on Monday Memorial Day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., our normal hours. We are so excited that for the second year in a row since COVID-19, we will have our pools open seven days a week in all of our communities that we serve across Chicago. Our 50 outdoor pools.

39:50 pools are 20 indoor pools and don't forget we also have 200 spray features and we got to verify this but i think we have the most spray features in any city in america so they're also a great place to cool down especially if you're a little one our park district day camps start june 22nd and we will have six weeks of summer fun for approximately 20 000 young people so that they can learn about environmental stewardship, inclusion, civic engagement, and have their best summertime shy at one of our iconic, wonderful summer day camps. And I want to remind everyone that summer day

40:26 camp registration is still underway. We still have some spots available and you can find them at chicagoparkdistrict.com. We encourage every family to sign up and to search our map option to see what is available. We also want to note that we are continuing our very successful team programming this summer. We're going to continue our teen tour. We have some of our outreach teen workers here. And we're also going to have our annual teens in the park fest, our tip fest happening July 18th in Burnham Park. Our mayor set a very clear agenda, set a very

40:59 clear goal. Let's improve public safety in the city. And let's do it by investing our communities and so importantly, investing in our youth. And so we're so proud that at the Chicago Park District last summer, not only did we increase the number of offerings that we provided to our teens and our young people, but we also saw an increase in the number of teens participating in those programs. So thank you so much, Mr. Mayor, for setting out that clear vision. But it's not just teens that we're inviting into our parks. We're inviting everyone of all ages because we know that when our parks are active with life, when our families are in

41:32 our parks enjoying those spaces, barbecuing, picnicking, having a softball game, having a family reunion, that that park is the safest place to be in any community. And that's why for the 14th year in a row, we are going to have our night out in the park series, bringing over 600 cultural events to our parks in all 77 neighborhoods, offering families 1,200 hours of free, fun family events that they can attend all summer long. That is just a little sampling and a little

42:03 tastes of what we're doing at the Chicago Park District to work hand in hand with this administration and with all of our partners across government to keep our families safe this wonderful, beautiful summer. I would also be remiss if I didn't thank our wonderful violence interrupters, our wonderful community organizers and community builders. We love, love, love when you are in our parks. So please spend some more time in our parks, get to know our staff and continue to do the amazing work that you are doing. And speaking of our staff, I want to give it up for our 6,000 staff.

42:35 This is going to be our busiest time of year at the Chicago Park District, but we do that labor of love because we believe in the city and we love serving the people of the city of Chicago. And we do that alongside our wonderful Park Advisory Council leaders. So I also want to give a shout out to the Sherman Park Advisory Council leaders that are here today. They are part of the thousands of volunteers that help activate our parks and are engaged every single day in our community. So with that, I want to turn it back over to our mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson. Okay, thank you.

43:06 Thank you to our general superintendent and to all that are here today. I just want to make sure I clarify something really quick. When the general superintendent mentioned that we have the most spray features anywhere in the country, just because our first deputy commissioner of the fire department is here, that does not include fire hydrants. All right. So come to our parks to make sure that my water pressure is not affected. All right. Is that good, Brandon? Is it all right? All right. What's going on? What do we have?

43:37 Let's get started with questions. We're going to do one question, one follow up. So, Rose, if you want to get started here. Hi. Can I ask the superintendent? Sure, of course. Superintendent. You talked about having additional resources at the busiest places, beaches, parks. Can you talk about other specific things that you guys are doing this summer, you know, as you know that there's an increase in activity? Well, once again, working with community partners, that's the key right there, all right? So as I said before, this isn't something that we can do alone. As we move into certain areas, we're looking at sparks of violence.

44:12 We're looking at crime patterns, things of that nature. And where we see the most violence is where you're going to see more resources from us. We want to be there to prevent, not just respond after it happens, because if we can prevent a catastrophe from happening, it's less likely someone is going to be hurt, injured, or even killed. So we make sure that when we're assessing each neighborhood, each area, each location, each block, when we get down to the blocks, we want to make sure that we're providing that area.

44:50 And that location and the people, the most resources that we can provide to keep everyone safe. And just as a quick follow-up, you talked about preparing for major events, including Sveño's Fest. Can you just talk about what that preparation looks like? Is it street closures? Is it all those types of things that make it happen? Well, they're always street closures. And what we do when we have those events, especially when they're street closures and we're working around people in neighborhoods, we want to make sure that we're messaging out. So we're partnering with the Office of Emergency Management.

45:22 We're partnering with the Fire Department and all of our partners that you see standing here behind us. We want a message out to the community, and when we have community groups, community engagement, they can now spread that message. It's helpful for everyone to get that information out. Mayor Johnson, question for Mayor Johnson. Good afternoon. Memorial Day weekend is typically one of the most violent weekends in the city of Chicago, yet you're taking a luxury all-expense-paid vacation to Rome and a taxpayer-funded security detail with you

45:55 to deliver the Pope a Cubs cap, wouldn't it be more economical to just simply mail the Pope a Cubs cap? Well, first of all, you know, this is an important connection for our city at a time in which violence is erupting around the globe. In fact, this is not a publicly funded trip. This is a privately funded trip. And the pope, of course, who has his roots in Chicago, who has his ancestry that is tied to the African ancestry,

46:30 it's an opportunity for us to continue to show our global support to invest in people. That's really what this is ultimately about. The safest communities in America and really around the globe all have one thing in common. They invest in people. You know, we are working with our faith community. We're working with the business community. We're working with our community violence intervention workers. The full force of government is required to build safe and affordable communities. So the good thing about me as mayor, as a middle child, I can walk and chew gum at the same time. Isn't World Business Chicago taxpayer funded?

47:02 No. Isn't your follow-up question? Thank you. Caroline, I'm going to pass the microphone to you. Thank you. Say the city gets wind of a planned teen takeover and the police are going to respond with their usual deployment of resources from around the city. But then what should people expect to see from the non-police side ahead of a takeover that the city is already aware of? Deputy Mayor. Thank you for that question. I think people should expect to see more coordinated efforts to be able to better align and let CPD be able to focus their resources.

47:39 So we have more community violence intervention groups working in community to be able to respond to those. In addition to that, we also have groups partnering with parents, being very intensive around issues around accountability for parents and for the full force of not just government to show up, but the full force of community to step up and being in a relationship with young people during these teen trends. So definitely a much more coordinated effort. Are there specific non-police personnel on call, whether that's CVI groups or parents or anybody else who might get a phone call to respond to such a thing?

48:15 Well, you know, one thing I just want to make clear, sometimes some of these trends you see, they'll just randomly pop up. So there's some challenges there. But then there's those that we know of and through social media. So with those, we do have local organizations that we are working with. A growing number, might I add, to be able to respond. And then one last thing I just wanted to add that we're doing a little bit different this year is working with some of the social media providers to be able to better hold accountability on that end so we're making sure that we have much more of a coordinated effort to be able to provide a safe summer for everybody.

48:53 And just one other quick note. Listen, this is not just a government response. Our parents have to lean in. Our adults have to do more. If anyone believes that this effort is solely the responsibility of government, they're mistaken. And here's the thing. You're seeing this all over the world. This is not unique to Chicago. But what will be unique for Chicago is that I'm counting on our parents and our adults to do more. Know where your children are. Know what they're engaged in. We have just laid out a plethora of activities that they can engage in.

49:27 And so that's why we are using every single entity of government for our Chicago public schools, for our park districts, for our libraries. There is not a place, a neighborhood where activity can exist that won't be available. But our parents, our adults, all of us have to put in the hard work to put our arms around young people. Someone knows. One of those kids that's out there, somebody knows them, and before this weekend ends,

49:58 I'm calling on all of the parents and adults in this city to speak directly to your young people. I'm going to speak directly to my children. I'm going to speak to as many children as I possibly can to let them know that these unauthorized gatherings can be reckless and dangerous, and we want to make sure that their lives are protected. The police department is going to do its part. CVI is going to do its part. Our government entities will do their part. Now we're asking every single adult in this city, whether you have birthed a child or not, our

50:30 children are our collective responsibility. And so it's going to take a collective response from everyone to protect our children. Mayor Johnson, you sort of mentioned there that this is something that's happening around the country. Around the world. An idea that's being brought up again in D.C. is whether or not parents should be held legally responsible when their kids participate in violence and destruction. Is that something you see as possible here in Chicago? I think it's important that we start with the opportunities that are available.

51:05 We want parents to know that there's somewhere for your child to go. There's somewhere for your child to go. And, of course, we have to hold people accountable. But let me be absolutely clear. Remember when we had multiple arrests at a gathering and then another gathering happened the following week? If we believe that we can arrest our way towards safety, we're wrong. We ask police officers to do too much. At some point, adults have to work hard to help raise their children.

51:36 And that's what we're calling for in this moment. And so I think the greatest incentive that we can give to a parent is making sure that parents know that we are investing in their young people and there's somewhere for them to go in a constructive, safe, fun space. This is how I know it's going to be fun, because other young people are planning it. If I plan an event, well, I did plan one event. And by the way, I had the largest gathering of teens, of any gathering.

52:09 1,500 young people came to Navy Pier and had a good time. And so if you want to have a good time and you wanted to be safe, invite a 50-year-old man. All right. Is this the last one? Okay. All right. Superintendent, can you give your take on the teen takeovers from an officer's perspective? There have been reports, obviously, that officers have been assaulted. Guns have been found on young people. What's your perspective on how to address teen takeovers, especially when school is out?

52:40 My follow-up question will concern Memorial Day and if we're going to see an increase, how many officers any days off pertaining to the holiday weekend coming. So, good question. Yes, I can tell you right now, we just had a captain of police who was struck by a young girl. Look, we see the violence in the crowds once they gather. Is every single kid in that crowd violent? No.

53:11 A lot of them are standing around. A lot of them come there to observe things. But those who are acting out violently, we recover guns from these locations. And it doesn't matter if you're there and you're violent or not. If you're there, you're in jeopardy if someone shows up with a gun. And we've seen that people will pull out guns and shoot indiscriminately. And there are people who are struck. And there are young people who are not only injured but killed also.

53:41 So one of the things that the mayor mentioned about parents getting involved, you need to be involved if you're concerned about the safety of your child and the safety of others. But then we also have to be aware of the safety of every other person in the city who happens to be commuting through that location where those teen gatherings are occurring, people who are in their homes, people who are having their property damage, things of that nature. We have to be aware of what actually happens. We as the police, we have more information as to what occurs because we have firsthand knowledge of how a lot of these young people are behaving when they get to these locations.

54:23 So we're going to respond in the best way possible. Our officers show a lot of restraint in these situations because they know that they're dealing with young people. But there are times when everyone on the scene, including the police, including the children who are there, are in serious, serious danger when we know that there's someone out there with guns. So at these teen gatherings, more likely than not, our officers are recovering weapons. They're recovering guns to make sure. that no one gets hurt, no one gets shot, no one gets killed at these locations.

54:54 So that's extremely important. And I'm sorry, what was the second part of your question? Precinct officers, this holiday weekend, are there any days off-cancel? For Memorial Day weekend, yes, there are days off-cancel. Once again, we are aware of officer wellness. We want to be judicious about how we do that. And we usually cancel one day of an officer's day off. But we believe it's necessary. to have the manpower in particular locations, to make sure that we can respond to situations.

55:28 But better than that, have resources in locations to prevent anything or any violence from sparking up and happening.

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