RICP to Host Summit That Will Build Partnerships to Address Gang Violence

The Regional Institute for Community Policing (RICP), a Springfield-based IGPA research center, is working with Lincoln Land Community College and the Springfield Urban League, Inc. to create an action plan that will address gang violence in central Illinois.

On Aug. 11, RICP will host the second in a series of Summits designed to develop the action plan. This Summit, called A Community Approach: Building Partnerships to Address Gang Violence, will bring multi-disciplinary professionals and community members together to address the issue of gang mobility and violent crime in central Illinois. The Summit will be held at Lincoln Land Community College’s Trutter Center in Springfield.

As gangs from urban areas migrate into residential and rural communities, significant implications arise for law enforcement and other governmental and social service professionals. Community members, especially youth, are directly impacted.

“Effectively responding to difficult problems requires innovative approaches to problem solving, non-traditional thinking, and strong community-based leadership. The purpose of this event is to work together to find solutions to gang related violence and crime in our geographic area,” said Dr. Patricia Rushing, director of RICP.

The first summit in the series, Addressing Gang Mobility: A Targeted Approach in Illinois was held earlier this year.

“Fighting gang violence is an ongoing public policy issue that demands our attention,” said Robert F. Rich, director of IGPA. “This series of summits put together by RICP allows those involved to come together to discuss what works and what doesn’t work in ways that can lead to effective solutions.”