VIOLENCE REDUCTION

Equipping churches to be at the forefront of violence reduction in their community

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Interrupting Bad Actions

Building Blocks of Peace: Identify, train, and mobilize partner churches, community groups, and residents to become Peace Makers. They engage in Positive Loitering in troubled spots to change the dynamics of that place, in coordination with the Chicago Police Department. Upcoming Trainings

Intercepting Bad Actors

Intervention Connections: An in-person visit by community stakeholders with a message of hope and offer of help—of acute offenders with a team assigned to coach and mentor them into a radically different and more productive life pattern.

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fewer homicides in Together Chicago's violence reduction focus area in East Garfield Park, Jan 1 - Dec 5, 2023, compared to previous year

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fewer shootings in Together Chicago's violence reduction focus area in East Garfield Park, Jan 1 - Dec 5, 2023, compared to previous year

faith leaders trained to participate in Intervention Connections

violence reduction team members working in our five focus areas

5 Geographies

Our violence reduction team members work collaboratively in the following areas:

  • Austin
  • East Garfield Park
  • Greater Grand Crossing
  • Near West Side
  • Westhaven Park

News

“I would also like to extend my sincere thanks for the outreach work that the members of Together Chicago have been doing in District 020 following the tragic murder of a teenager here on March 16th.

The victim’s family was, and remains, grief-stricken. Some members of the family expressed rage and anger as well, with threats of retaliation. Your prayers for the family and your visits to their home have been crucial in helping to interrupt the potential cycle of violence and retaliation.

As our police investigation continues, the victim’s family can take a measure of comfort from knowing that they have spiritual support from caring members in their community. Together Chicago is playing a vital role in lifting up those who have suffered this tremendous loss, while helping to ensure that other families do not experience a similar tragedy.

I appreciate the work that you have been doing, and that you continue to do. As we work towards the resolution of this case, the name of your organization reminds me that we are all in this journey together, and together, we are better.

Thank you again for all that you are doing. I appreciate you and I will keep you in my prayers as well.

Take care and God bless.”

Brendan McCrudden
Commander, 20th District
Chicago Police Department

Our Team

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Michael Allen

Michael Allen is Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Together Chicago. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica and immigrated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his family in 1977.  In 1986 he became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Early in his professional career, Michael was called into ministry under the leadership of Dr. O.S. Hawkins, First Baptist Church – Ft. Lauderdale (1989). In 1997, Michael served as Assistant Pastor of Urban Outreach and Evangelism at The Moody Church in Chicago, IL . Michael also served as the Associate Pastor at Sagemont Church in Houston, TX (2002) and most recently as the Senior Pastor at Uptown Baptist Church. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the board of the Pacific Garden Mission.

Michael holds a Masters in Divinity from Trinity International University, a Bachelors of Arts in Biblical Studies from Trinity College – Miami, FL and an Associates in Computer Electronics.

Michael is married to Marilza from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and they have 4 children.

Sr. Case Manager

Tramaine Jones

Victim Services Advocate

Alexis Luckett

Violence Reduction Strategist

Christopher Mallette

Christopher Mallette is a renowned community safety strategist and management consultant. 

Christopher Mallette has devoted his life to advocating for social justice and serving residents and children in the city of Chicago and other U.S. urban communities. He is the former Executive Director of the Chicago Violence Reduction Strategy (CVRS) where he worked to reduce group and gang violence in the City of Chicago.  The focus of Christopher’s work has been and continues to be the development of collaborative strategies that reconcile communities by helping members to identify and value one another’s place in the social fabric of the community.

Prior to assuming his role with CVRS, Christopher served in the Mayor’s Office as the Director of Community Safety Initiatives where he focused on youth violence prevention, juvenile justice, gang intervention and prevention, and ex-offender reentry initiatives.  Before his appointment to the Mayor’s Office, Christopher served as the Executive Director of Chicago’s Juvenile Intervention Support Center. He has also served the City of Chicago as an Assistant Corporation Counsel, various roles at the Faith Community of St. Sabina, and Chicago Public Schools. 

He is also the Head Football Coach at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School.  Mallette is a Princeton University graduate and received his Law Degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. Christopher and his wife Kendall have four sons: Luke, Zion, Judah and Levi.

Chief Church Liaison Officer

Bishop Ed Peecher

Chicago native. One of 7 children. Revolutionary.

After years of leading Chicago Embassy Church, in 2017 Ed became a spiritual advisor to Chicago business and government leaders and is currently Chief Church Liaison Officer at Together Chicago.

As a child of the 1960’s Civil Rights movement, Ed has been involved in community relations for nearly 50 years. As a young adult, he joined the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, to bring awareness to the national injustices debilitating the African-American community. In 1969, he was employed by AT&T and served the organization for many years. While at At&T, Ed started a bible study in its downtown headquarters after receiving the calling from Jesus Christ. In 1983 New Heritage Christian Center was formed and two years later Ed resigned from his Account Executive position to pastor full-time.

Ed holds a Certificate in Pastoral Studies from Moody Bible Institute (1975). He continues to guest-teach at several Bible Colleges and Seminaries. He has groomed many spiritual leaders, many of whom are serving as senior pastors locally and internationally.

Ed and his wife, Katie, have 3 children, two of which have proceeded them into eternity. 

Victim Services Advocate

Zerlina Smith-Members

Case Manager

Shereka Terrett

Director of Violence Reduction

LaVonas Troupe

Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago in the Henry Horner Homes (now Westhaven Park), LaVonas grew up under the influence of James “Major” Adams, and played the drums at the Henry Horner Boys & Girls Club. After Suder Elementary, LaVonas was accepted at the prestigious Von Steuben High School, where he was, ironically, expelled for fighting. He graduated from Flower Vocational High School (now Al Raby HS) in East Garfield Park and went on to attend Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.

Before Together Chicago, LaVonas served as an Operations Manager for Chicago Area Projects for 20 years under the leadership of Howard Lathan and Geneva Peterson Castleberry, helping lead community-focused work of Youth Services, Violence Prevention, and Community Advocacy.

LaVonas joined the Together Chicago team in 2021 as a West Side Street Outreach Worker. His diligence and perseverance enabled him to become a Certified Youth Developer and a Certified Professional Street Outreach Worker through the Metropolitan Peace Academy. His innate leadership qualities and dedication to help others resolve conflicts without violence led to LaVonas’ advancement: as the Director of TC’s Violence Reduction Initiatives, he oversees the entire Street Outreach Team, Case Managers, Victim Services Advocates, and Crisis Response Specialists.

GET INVOLVED

Be a part of this collective effort to improve safety in Chicago communities

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