Oak Park Trustee: It's Time to Talk About Violence

At the Village Board meeting that followed the July 18 shooting death of 19-year-old Oak Park resident Alexander Mayo, Trustee Ray Johnson encouraged the board to open a discussion about violence in the area.

"...The third youth from Oak Park was recently murdered in Chicago," he said. "These are families that moved from Chicago to Oak Park because they value the educational opportunities that our community can provide their sons and daughters, and yet, when they go back to visit their friends in some Chicago neighborhoods, they're at great risk."

Earlier this month, 14-year-old Damani Henard was shot and killed while riding his bike on North Avenue. 

Henard's mother told the Chicago Tribune she'd moved her family to Oak Park about a year ago to get her four kids away from the gang activity of their old Chicago neighborhood.

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Johnson said his initial concern came from seeing comments that follow media reports online that place blame on victims and their parents.

"(The comments) troubled me deeply, because I don't think that's very helpful and it doesn't get to the root cause of what's going on... So I'm hoping we can raise the level of discourse and have productive conversations," Johnson said Thursday.

"I would like to ask the board, in all seriousness, if this is a time and a place for Oak Park to play a role in trying to start a conversation—much as President Obama asked the country to do this past Friday—and ask our community relations commission to lead that conversation in regards to how we can create stronger partnerships with our fellow residents to the east, how we can have discussions about violence, and class and race, without blaming victims and how we might be able to set our own tone of a positive way forward when these tragedies occur. 

"...I think it's time we reach out to the community relations commission," he said. "These are not discussions politicians (or elected officials) can lead... but perhaps our citizens can, and we can support them in that effort, and figure out ... ways to make a difference."

Adam Salzman agreed a conversation needs to take place. 

"It's really hard to get past the fact that it's really happening on your doorstep," he said.

Trustee Colette Lueck said a multitude of conversations about violence in Chicago present opportunities for Oak Park to participate and "strike a partnership" with the city.

She added that research shows violence is a public health issue. 

"You will never be able to predict who the next person to shoot or to get shot is, (but) what you can do is deal with the community around those events," she said. 

Johnson said Thursday he hopes the village's Community Relations Commission will soon embark on a process that leads to conversation and action in Oak Park, and partnerships with the City of Chicago—particularly in the Austin neighborhood. 

With violence-related initiatives already in place in Chicago, Johnson said Oak Parkers won't need to recreate anything, but can seek ways for
the village to partner with its neighbors to the east. 

Overall crime is low, he said, but in 10 years on the Village Board, he can't recall a time when three young residents were killed in such a short span.

"So, you have to then say, Chicago has been working on this issue for a long time, what's Oak Park doing? Are we doing everything we can?... I don't think we are. I think we must do more... If we just sit silently, we're not really helping those who need it most."