Chicago City Wire

Illinois’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker has created a new task force of “peacekeepers” to patrol the city of Chicago in preparation for Memorial Day festivities. 

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, many cities have planned for increased police presence or awareness near festivals or parties. According to Chicago Sun Times, Chicago will have a new task force of specially trained ‘peacekeepers’ ready to respond to any “large group incidents” that occur in the city during the holiday weekend. This new task force is mobile and can operate anywhere, like Millenium Park in the downtown area, and will operate beside similar existing groups assigned to specific neighborhoods.

ABC News reported that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement saying, “In preparing for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer in Chicago, it is critical that we have as many stakeholders as possible at the table to ensure peace and safety on our city's streets.” 

"A headline you normally see associated with Third World warlordocracies so it's appropriate for Chicago," Chicago's Morning Answer radio talk show host Dan Proft said in a Twitter post responding to ABC's article which had the headline, "Gov. Pritzker deploys peacekeepers to Chicago for Memorial Day weekend."

According to a press release from Pritzker’s office, the new team is called the “Citywide Crisis Prevention & Response Unit (CPRU)” and will “coordinate with community-based organizations and city and state agencies to deploy 30+ trained neighborhood 'Peacekeepers' and street outreach partners to provide essential assistance in de-escalation, conflict resolution, and crisis support across Chicago.”

“The Peacekeepers within the CPRU undergo comprehensive training including crowd de-escalation tactics, crisis interruption, and program referral and support,” according to the press release. “This expanded training equips violence prevention coordinators to operate beyond their typical neighborhoods to address other areas of potential conflict or crisis such as recent large teen gatherings in downtown Chicago or mass casualty events. Under the guidance of the CPRU Director and Regional Leads, deployment responses are managed on a case-by-case basis, allowing for real-time adjustments based on emergent needs. This flexibility ensures an agile and efficient approach to conflict and crisis management.”