A nonprofit publication committed to inspiring better cities recently highlighted the work of an Adler University leader who advocates for residents in Chicago’s most historically disadvantaged communities.
Next City published an excerpt from the recently published book, The War on Neighborhoods: Policing, Prison, and Punishment in a Divided City, which was co-authored by Dan Cooper, Ph.D. Cooper serves as the executive director of the University’s Center for Equitable Cities.
A portion of the featured excerpt reads:
The political will to address the root causes of violence has been missing in action. While there has been no shortage of powerful speeches, when it is time to set annual budgets, policymakers act as if deaths cannot be prevented. Every few years, old policing strategies receive new brands, new buildings, and infusions of technology, but the fundamental strategy does not change. Just east of [the west side Chicago neighborhood of] Austin, in Garfield Park, a $95 million police and fire training facility is being built, right next door to the shuttered factories that once brought economic stability to the area. Meanwhile, community-based violence prevention programs struggle to keep their lights on. This is part of how the war on neighborhoods is sustained.
Next City is a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire social, economic and environmental change in cities through journalism and events around the world.
Read the full article, “It’s Long Past Time to Face the Complexity Behind Persistent Violent Crime,” in the organization’s official online publication.