‘We’re All a Part of the Solution’: MPI Chief Program Officer Domonique McCord Talks City of Chicago Crime Declines with WBEZ

Chicago reached a major milestone at the close of 2025, reporting the lowest number of homicides since 1965 and record low numbers of gun violence. Community Violence Intervention (CVI) played a key role in decreasing levels of violence in the city, especially in areas served by Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P), a coalition of CVI organizations convened by Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI) in Chicago’s highest-risk areas.

So, as we look forward to the new year, what does Chicago need to ensure further decreases in violence across the city? MPI Chief Program Officer Domonique McCord shared her insights with WBEZ’s Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith in a segment for Say More.

McCord highlighted several initiatives MPI established to combat gun violence in Chicago, including the Crisis Prevention and Response Unit (CPRU), a mobile response team of violence interrupters deployed in high-activity areas; the Metropolitan Peace Academy (MPA), the premier training facility for street outreach workers, case managers, victim advocates, and trauma recovery specialists in the CVI field; and Youth Interventions programs like Back to Our Future 2.0.

All of these programs serve to make Chicago’s most impacted neighborhoods safer through a holistic approach that addresses the multitude of causes of gun violence.

“When you think about in time of crisis and trauma, an individual having access to wraparound services and a holding environment that allows them to heal and understand before reacting — that is definitely an integral part of the healing process,” McCord shared.

McCord says a safer future for neighborhoods with the most concentrated violence will require an “all hands-on-deck approach, from Community Violence Intervention workers to hospitals to philanthropy to city and state government… from a resource to a direct service standpoint.”

“We’re all a part of the solution,” she continued.

McCord hopes to lean into the momentum of Chicago’s decline in crime, advocating for sustainable and long-term funding for CVI. These investments would further help support at-risk individuals, with everything from workforce development to mental health services, and more. “We can’t lose momentum. We always want to increase the funding so we can increase services to the individuals we serve.”

Listen to the entire episode here.