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Lake County 'violence interrupters' aim to reduce crime

By FOX 32 News
Published  June 3, 2022 5:05pm CDT
Lake County
FOX 32 Chicago

Lake County rolls out new violence prevention initiative

Using a little more than $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds and $500,000 in state funding, Lake County is hiring 12 violence interrupters.

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - Lake County has seen a 50-percent increase in gun violence, and now they are hiring "violence interrupters" to do something about it.

Using a little more than $1-million in American Rescue Plan funds and $500,000 in state funding, Lake County is hiring 12 violence interrupters. They will be overseen by three supervisors.

The county is mimicking a program in Chicago’s Austin community where gun violence there was reduced by 50-percent.

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"We are targeting three communities in Lake County: Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion. Over time, we will expand what we are doing county wide, but we know that is where gun violence is highest right now," said Sara Knizhnik, Chair of Gun Violence Prevention initiative implementation.

The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office is the third in the U.S. to house an office of violence prevention.