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Ryan and Daley Announce Gang Crime Action Plan
CHICAGO -- Governor George H. Ryan and Mayor Richard M. Daley today outlined a course of action designed to curb dangerous gang activity and protect our neighborhoods from senseless acts of random violence.
Ryan and Daley were joined by state and local law enforcement officials to announce the three pronged plan.
"I want to get gangbangers off of the street so little girls can sleep peacefully in their beds and dream about their futures - instead of worrying about whether they're going to see the next morning," Ryan said.
"The fight against crime requires strong cooperation among all levels of government," said Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley "We must use every available resource to rid our streets of guns, gangs and drugs."
In an effort to prevent further violence, Ryan and Daley have called for the formation of a tactical force of 100 parole agents who will ride along with police officers in targeted areas of known gang activity in the Chicago area. The parole agents will work with the officers to identify parolees who may be associating with known gang members -- a violation of their parole.
"The goal is to get these guys off the streets if they are back to their old ways," Ryan said. "We want to send a clear message to parolees: If you are hanging out with gangbangers, you are going back to prison."
In an effort find and lock-up perpetrators of violent gang crimes, Ryan has ordered the Illinois State Police to form a forensics tactical response team that will work with the Chicago Police Department to help gather evidence in high-profile cases and ensure that justice is served quickly and accurately.
"The unfortunate reality is that the City of Chicago has a backlog of these types of cases," Ryan said. "Through this joint effort, the State Police will work with the Chicago Police Department to bring a quick resolution to these tragic situations."
Noting that Illinois already has some of the toughest anti-gang violence laws on the books, including the Safe Neighborhoods Act and Ryan's 15-20-Life initiative, the governor announced plans to convene an anti-crime summit next month. The summit will focus on ways to prevent violence and better ways to catch criminals.
In recent days Ryan has worked with Deputy Governor for Criminal Justice Matt Bettenhausen on an action plan designed to better use existing state laws and manpower to fight gang crime throughout the Chicago area.
In the last three weeks, four innocent children have been killed by gang violence directed at others. On Wednesday, Miguel DeLa Rosa, 12, was gunned down as a he rode his bicycle home from a softball game. Last week, 12-year-old Tsarina Powell was gunned down as she slept in her bed when gang members sprayed her home with bullets. In June two Cicero boys, Mark Lopez and Ruben Pulido, were killed as they sat on the front porch of their home by gang members who didn't like the color of the clothes they were wearing.
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