CHICAGO — A major federal anti-violence program, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), is launching a new zone in downtown Chicago for the first time, targeting gun crimes, carjackings, drug trafficking, and robberies. The expansion also includes coverage of the city’s mass transit systems — a national first for the initiative.
This move marks the first major initiative under U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, who took office two months ago. Boutros emphasized that violence prevention in the city’s economic and cultural core is his top priority.
“Downtown Chicago is the capital of the region’s economy… when violence makes people feel unsafe to live, invest, and shop in Chicago, everyone suffers,” Boutros said in an official statement.
What’s Changing Under This Expansion?
- A new PSN enforcement zone now stretches from Division Street in the Near North Side through Navy Pier, the Loop, Millennium Park, and down to McCormick Place in the South Loop.
- Westward, it extends to Fulton Market and the West Loop business corridor.
- The area also includes CTA trains and stations serving neighborhoods across the city and both O’Hare and Midway airports.
Source: Chicago Tribune
The new initiative will fund additional law enforcement, overtime patrols, transit safety measures, surveillance equipment, and anti-violence messaging inside CTA train cars.
Why Now?
The expansion arrives as city officials brace for the summer surge in crime, especially around high-traffic tourist zones like Millennium Park and Navy Pier.
While Mayor Brandon Johnson and Superintendent Larry Snelling have highlighted recent drops in homicides and shootings, city leaders admit summer often brings challenges with large crowds, teen gatherings, and flashmob-style disturbances.
“The expansion of this program builds on the progress CPD is making in combating crime citywide,” said Superintendent Snelling.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart added the new federal resources are “critically needed” to address threats to downtown commerce and public transit safety.
A History of Project Safe Neighborhoods
- Launched in the early 2000s, PSN was originally used in seven high-violence zones across the West and South sides of Chicago.
- The program coordinates federal agencies like the FBI, DEA, and ATF with local police to enforce federal crimes and reduce gang violence.
- It’s now part of the Justice Department’s “Take Back America” agenda, although immigration enforcement was not emphasized in this particular expansion.
What’s Next?
While federal officials didn’t reveal how much funding this new downtown initiative is receiving, the launch comes amid budget cuts at the Department of Justice that have affected local violence intervention groups.
Still, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said her office supports the increased public safety focus:
“We’re going to continue to do our job. If that originates more crimes, we’re going to prosecute crimes. That’s what we’re continuing to do.”
Do you feel safer with this new downtown safety initiative? Should federal programs focus more on transit and retail crime prevention in Chicago? Share your opinion in the comments.
Stay with ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com for detailed reporting on public safety programs, federal funding changes, and citywide crime prevention.
