Today’s question is related to community investment. The current League of Women Voters of Illinois position is stated below, followed by the updated consensus study questions on this topic.
Consensus question 1. Investing in Communities to reduce crime and violence
Existing position: NONE
Consensus Question:
To reduce crime and violence, should there be investment in underserved and/or impoverished communities?
PRO: Underserved and/or impoverished communities provide limited opportunities to their residents: to find employment; to create a business; to find suitable, affordable housing; to access needed health care and other social services. Young people quite often go to schools with fewer resources, receive little mentoring, and have access to fewer after-school activities or jobs. They often suffer trauma and stress due to violence in their neighborhoods. Researchers and leaders are now making the connection between violence and the neglect of public and private investment in these communities. Thus, it could be argued that the Criminal Justice system does not start with the police who decide whether to arrest or to deflect the offender from arrest. Some would say that the foundation for crime has been laid long before an individual commits an offense.
CON: Private companies will not invest in poverty areas because there is no effective demand for their products and services, and it is too dangerous to do so. Resources are already stretched, and throwing more money at the problem won’t change things.
RESOURCES
PRO
Op-Ed: Community investment, not punishment, is key to reducing violence https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-sharkey-violence-community-i... story.html
Sarah Staudt video
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D9ZY3zadOMKKMLMUCSk8rBigk--YOodB/view
CON
Poor Neighborhoods Need More Than ‘Investment’
https://otherwords.org/poor-neighborhoods-need-more-than-investment/
If you would like more information on this question, please contact Mary Tworek-Tupper, LWV of Wheaton, at tupper41 [at] comcast.net.
