Frequently Asked Questions

This page presents answers to some questions that we frequently get regarding CeaseFire.

Q1: Why does Chicago continue to have so many murders, yet CeaseFire, a proven intervention, is active in Chicago?

• The short and simple answer to this question is coverage. And the best way to demonstrate this is with an example. In the picture below (click image for a larger verion or to download), The communities of Roseland, Pullman, and West Pullman are shown with the homicides, shootings and CeaseFire zone. As is shown, CeaseFire operates in a very small portion of these communities, while many areas with severe gun violence problems go without a CeaseFire program. If CeaseFire had the funding to cover these high crime areas, these communities would be able to reduce the violence.



• The second part of the answer to this question is that since CeaseFire was introduced in Chicago, murders have dropped significantly. Before CeaseFire began working in Chicago, there were consistantly over 600 homicides each year. In 2004, when CeaseFire received state funding and was able to expand into many communities in Chicago, homicides dropped to 448 homicides, the lowest level since the 1960s. And homicides have remained below 500 homicides per year up until 2008, right after CeaseFire's funding was temporarily interrupted at the end of 2007. For more information on CeaseFire's effectiveness, please visit our data webpage.

Q2: What would it take to get homicides in Chicago below 200 per year?

• In 2008, there were 511 killings in Chicago, with a rate of about 17.6 homicides for every 100,000 residents. What would it take to drastically reduce killings to under 200 killings per year for a rate of about 6.9 homicides for every 100,000 residents? While this seems like an impossible feat since homicides in Chicago have been above 400 per year since the 1950s, There are two reasons to believe that it is possible. First, a rate of 6.9 homicides is actually above the national average (about 5.9) and considerably higher than most Eurpoean cities. So, it is not an unrealistic expectation. Second, Chicago is home to CeaseFire, a scientifically proven method to reduce shooting and killings. An external evaluation of CeaseFire found that the program successfully reduces shootings and killing with reductions in CeaseFire zones of between 41% and 73%. As addressed in question 1 above, the only thing stopping CeasseFire from having a dramatic effect is coverage. Currently the program is only in 25% of the highest need areas and only 14% of the overall city. If CeaseFire were able to implement a city-wide effort, we project that homicides would be below 200 within 3 years.

Q3: When CeaseFire temporarily lost funding in 2007-2008, what happened to shootings in Chicago?

• Former Governor Blagojevich cut CeaseFire funding in the summer of 2007 forcing most of CeaseFire's communities to close down. Funding has recently been reinstated and we are back to working to decrease violence in Chicago communities, but during the time when CeaseFire was shut down, shootings skyrocketed. For more information, go to our data page on the effects of the budget cut. Also, this has been report on in the Chicago Defender.

Q4: How can I get someone from CeaseFire to come speak at my school/organization/event?

• When it is feasible, members of the CeaseFire staff can give presentations regarding the CeaseFire program. For more information, go to our speaker request webpage.

Q4: Can CeaseFire use my help? How do I volunteer?

• It takes many people working together to stop shootings in our communities. CeaseFire draws its strength from residents, clergy, schools, law enforcement and community based organizations. We need your help, too. As a CeaseFire Chicago volunteer, you can use your experience in leadership, business, healthcare, marketing, public relations or fundraising to make a real and meaningful difference. CeaseFire Chicago needs you! Find out how you can support CeaseFire's efforts by contacting our central office or by contacting the CeaseFire office in your area.

Q5: What would a "normal" level of violence for a city be?

• We at CeaseFire believe that any level of gun violence is not normal in a society. The norm should be that the use of a gun is wrong. With that said, the level of violence in some American cities is so abnormally high that it is beneficial to note that other cities do not have violence at that level. For example, here are some cities with very high rates of homicide (rate is per 100,000 residents in 2008):
  • New Orleans, LA - 63.6
  • Gary, IN - 52.6
  • St. Louis, MO - 46.9
  • Baltimore, MD - 36.9
  • Chicago, IL - 18.0
  These cities should not have such high rates of homicide. Western European cities typically have homicide rate of about 2 to 3 homidicdes per 100,000. This would be a more "normal" rate. Several American cities also have rates of homicide at this much lower level:
  • Honolulu, HI - 2.0
  • El Paso, TX - 2.8
  • Austin, TX - 3.1
  • San Jose, CA - 3.3
  • San Diego, CA - 4.3