On his first day in office, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order to create a Deputy Mayor of Community Safety. By Friday, he appointed a candidate for the position, the first of its kind for Chicago.
Johnson named Garien Gatewood as Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, one of the most significant moves of his new administration.
“Building a safer Chicago means we must address the root causes of crime with a comprehensive approach,” said Mayor Johnson in a release. “As my Deputy Mayor for Community Safety, I know Garien Gatewood will help advance that vision and create safer neighborhoods in every corner of our city by investing in people, especially our youth.”
In this post, Gatewood will play a key role in carrying out the mayor’s public safety vision, which focuses on community engagement and diversion programs.
The position also calls for that person to be “responsible for coordination and communication between all applicable City departments and officials related to the City’s efforts to eradicate the root causes of crime, violence, and harm, and to advance a holistic and comprehensive approach to community safety.”
Since Johnson ran for mayor, his public safety plan has been scrutinized. While it calls for training and promoting 200 new detectives from the Chicago Police Department’s rank and file, it also includes addressing the root causes of crime through youth and community programs and having health professionals, not officers, respond to crisis calls.
Gatewood’s appointment also comes just before Summer, when homicides and violent crimes typically spike in Chicago.
Gatewood is currently the Director of the Illinois Justice Project, where he develops strategies to uplift youth and adults, supports returning residents, and helps guide policy in support of the Illinois SAFE-T Act.
Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Gatewood to serve on the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority board, a state agency that directs developing and coordinating programs to enhance and improve public safety.
“I am humbled by this opportunity to advance a holistic and comprehensive approach to community safety,” said Gatewood in a release. “I’ve worked with the young people of Chicago for years, and I know that together we can deliver on a vision for a stronger, safer city that addresses the root causes of violence, provides support for youth and adults alike, and lifts up every neighborhood.”
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