Peoria council approves safety network but rejects $25,000 Cure Violence funding over transparency concerns

Peoria Council Divided on Gun Violence Strategy: Transparency Concerns Sink Cure Violence Assessment as Community Alternatives Emerge

Mayor Ali's Safety Network (esnet) initiative for coordinated gun violence prevention and a $25,000 assessment of the Cure Violence program both faced withering procedural scrutiny at a June 28 meeting that underscored council fractures over transparency, governance, and whether city resources were being allocated through proper channels—even as community advocates offered competing visions for intervention.

The meeting began with a detailed two-hour presentation on esnet, a community work group launched by Dr. Rita Ali in July 2021 to unite police, schools, nonprofits, and neighborhood organizations around evidence-based violence reduction. Though the presentation and subsequent testimonials passed unanimously, the margin masked deep unease among council members over whether esnet should operate as a formal commission, whether it complied with Illinois open-meetings law, and why city staff were paid with public funds to oversee a structure that appeared to lack council oversight or competitive selection of programs.

Key Speeches

"I still don't understand why this was not handled in that same way especially for as important as it is for our community how were the two council members picked to be a part of this um how did we get to a point where we're hiring staff people with public funds $67,000 Plus benefits to oversee an organization that we have no accountability for and it just it really concerns me why we're behind on this instead of doing this in the beginning because I would have supported this if it was something that was asked for." — Council Member Zachary Oyler

"a connected Community is a safer community" — Mayor Dr. Rita Ali, closing remark on esnet

"we have an unprecedented amount of money that is going to be coming into our city um over $7 million and that probably won't happen again in the near future um and I think it really we want to make sure that those dollars are able to do what they're supposed to do." — Council Member Sid Ruck Regal, cautioning against piecemeal funding decisions

"this isn't a organization or a group that's been meeting for a few weeks and they're ready to now come for us to cut the check this they have put in a lot of due diligence uh in what the work that they've been putting in this space so I do want to commend them on that" — Council Member Dr. Andre Dr. Andre W. Allen, in esnet's defense

"Youth with better coping skills don't pick up guns youth who have mentors to guide them activities in the community and learn how to deescalate don't pick up guns." — Carolyn Vasquez, Project Amani advocate from Chicago

Timeline

Esnet Presentation:

• Dr. Rita Ali outlined formation of Safety Network in July 2021 following police data showing Peoria ranked second nationally in shooting rates (62% per 20,000 population, 2016–2020).
• Approximately 50 community leaders from police, schools, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations convened initially at police headquarters, then moved to monthly meetings at Wisconsin Avenue headquarters of Peoria Public Schools.
• esnet operates as a "community work group" rather than a formal city commission, modeled on a passenger rail working group.
• Initial meetings were not publicly noticed because they did not include more than three council members, Dr. Rita Ali stated; she consulted with city attorney on open-meetings compliance.
• Two testimonials followed: Jonathan Roma of Art Inc., which received a $600,000 R3 grant after esnet feedback, and Pastor Martin Johnson, lead chaplain for Peoria Police, who praised esnet's continuation of earlier city-police-community relationship work.
• Police Chief Brad Dixon presented statistics showing year-to-date improvements in 2022: shot-spotter alerts, rounds fired, and shooting incidents all down significantly from 2021; tip 411 hotline yielded 298 tips; directed patrols involving city, state, and county resources underway.
• Council motion to "receive and file" passed unanimously.

Council Discussion on Esnet:

• Councilman Zachary Oyler raised the core concern: Why wasn't esnet created as a formal commission through the city's 37 established boards (appointed by mayor, confirmed by council, required to follow open-meetings act)? Why were two council members (Dr. Andre W. Allen and Denise Jackson) chosen without formal vetting? How is $67,000+ in city staff compensation justified for an entity with no council accountability?
• Dr. Rita Ali responded that esnet mirrors the passenger rail working group and that she consulted city attorney on open-meetings compliance; council members Dr. Andre W. Allen and Denise Jackson were chosen because Dr. Andre W. Allen chaired the Police and Community Relations Commission and Denise Jackson represented a hotspot neighborhood. Meetings are now open to anyone starting July (second and fourth Tuesdays).
• Councilman Christopher Graab emphasized concern about preferential treatment for Cure Violence: "when things are not occurring out the open uh there are other evidencebased violence Interruption programs correct that would have been you know their leaders would have been happy to apply." He advocated for competitive RFPs covering all violence-reduction proposals.
• Councilwoman Denise Jackson praised esnet's 50 consistent attendees and noted her role bringing both mentoring and police-community liaison experience.
• Councilman Timothy Riggenbach requested that presentations made to esnet be shared with full council, police statistics be distributed regularly, and that future esnet meetings be noticed and follow open-meetings procedures to enhance credibility.
• Councilwoman Monica Jensen expressed disappointment at not receiving updates and police reports distributed to esnet; requested council receive monthly briefings so they remain "in the loop" on problems and solutions.
• Dr. Rita Ali agreed to provide quarterly updates; council requested presentations be shared and that future meetings follow open-meetings procedures.

Project Amani Presentation:

• Carolyn Vasquez, a Chicago-based community advocate who received $1.5 million from Mayor Lightfoot to redesign Rainbow Beach, presented an alternative community violence-reduction model focused on school-based collaboration, mentoring, and safe passage programs modeled on Chicago's.
• Project Amani targets the 61605 ZIP code (predominantly low-income, melanated community per Vasquez's assessment).
• Strategy includes: school-based support for staff, students, and families addressing truancy and suicidal thoughts; expansion of mentoring; safe-passage workers hired and trained by community organizations ($15/hour, 5 hours/day, 5 days/week = ~$250/week per household, reinvesting in community).
• Vasquez emphasized community ownership and employment as violence prevention, offering to start when school year begins; estimated $25,000 for assessment similar to Cure Violence proposal.
• Motion to receive and file passed unanimously.
• Community comment from Mark Anthony Porch (61605 resident, founder of homework mentoring program): provided 21-minute extemporaneous testimonial tracing his family's history in Peoria, his relationship with Vasquez through gift-of-hope organ-donation work, and his conviction that Project Amani represents genuine community reinvestment. Noted that previous city investments in education (e.g., at Carver Center) had not ensured community members of color were compensated or retained. Emphasized that transparency—from White House to city level—remains deficient.

Cure Violence Funding Vote:

• Councilman Dr. Andre Dr. Andre W. Allen moved approval of $25,000 from American Rescue Plan funds for a Cure Violence assessment, noting it would provide "external validation" of the program and was not a vote of non-confidence in existing resources. Invoked loss of friend DeAndre Dr. Andre W. Allen to 2007 homicide and 2019 CBS ranking of Peoria as 15th deadliest city nationally (22.53 murders per 100,000).
• Motion failed 3–6:
  • Yes: Dr. Andre W. Allen, Denise Jackson, Sear (3)
  • No: Graab, John Kelly, Zachary Oyler, Timothy Riggenbach, Ruck Regal, and one other (6)
• Councilman Graab reiterated concern that cure violence received "preferential treatment" without open RFP; $7+ million in state violence-reduction funding requires transparent, Level Playing Field competition among all evidence-based programs.
• Timothy Riggenbach emphasized transparency and expressed discomfort with esnet's vetting process absent public input.

Other Items:

• Police Benevolent Association contract (2022–2024): Passed 6–1, with Zachary Oyler voting no on grounds the agreement lacked residency requirements. Zachary Oyler stated: "we can't put enough of a dollar figure on residency in our community" and that residents feel safer knowing police officers live in their neighborhoods.
• Glenn Avenue rehabilitation project: Awarded to RA Cullinan for $10,712,616 (total with contingencies: $11,199,370). Funded by state rebuild Illinois ($7.6M), storm water ($1.5M), and motor fuel taxes. Full reconstruction from War Memorial Drive to University Street. Passed unanimously.
• Orange Prairie Road rehabilitation (interim): Awarded to RA Cullinan for $2,843,184 (total with contingencies: $3,128,225). Interim improvements (patching, overlay, storm water) to buy time until full reconstruction planned 2026–27 (estimated $16M cost). Passed unanimously. Councilwoman Jensen expressed relief at finally addressing this long-complained-about road.
• Emergency vehicle preemption system: Unanimously approved licensing agreement between city and Advanced Medical Transport (AMT) for emergency response coordination. Zachary Oyler praised the collaboration as a model of efficiency improvement.
• Summer litter patrol (Southside Community United for Change): Denise Jackson highlighted reactivation of the program, which hired 63 students with overwhelming demand and a waiting list. Program includes financial literacy training (Bank B sponsor) and connection to educational support. Denise Jackson emphasized employment as violence prevention and economic development tool.

Opposition

To esnet structure and process:

• Number of speakers against: 4 council members (Zachary Oyler, Graab, Jensen, Timothy Riggenbach)
• Main concerns:
  1. esnet operates outside the city's 37 formal boards-and-commissions structure, which have mayor appointment, council confirmation, and open-meetings compliance.
  2. Council oversight is absent despite $67,000+ in city staff compensation (public funds).
  3. Selection of two council members (Dr. Andre W. Allen, Denise Jackson) lacked formal vetting process.
  4. City attorney consultation on open-meetings law was not transparent to full council.
  5. Cure Violence program received preferential vetting and recommendation without competitive RFP among all evidence-based violence-reduction programs.
  6. $7+ million in state funding available but decision-making process appeared insider-driven, not open to community input.
  7. Police briefings and presentations to esnet not shared with council, creating information asymmetry.
• Most compelling argument: Councilman Graab: "when things are not occurring out the open uh there are other evidencebased violence Interruption programs correct that would have been you know their leaders would have been happy to apply." This framed preferential treatment as fiscally irresponsible and procedurally unfair.
• Organized groups: No organized opposition; criticism came from council members themselves.

To Cure Violence assessment funding:

• Vote tally: 3 yes, 6 no
• Opposition reasoning: Esnet's vetting process was not transparent; assessment should follow competitive RFP; concern that other programs (including Project Amani) were not given equal consideration; $7+ million in state funds warrants holistic, council-approved strategy, not piecemeal funding of individual assessments.

Support

For esnet initiative:

• Number of speakers for: 2 (Jonathan Roma, Pastor Martin Johnson) plus 2 council members offering qualified support (Dr. Andre W. Allen, Denise Jackson)
• Main arguments:
  1. 50 consistent attendees demonstrate genuine community commitment and passion.
  2. Roma and Art Inc. case: esnet feedback improved his $600,000 R3 grant proposal, proving the vetting process produces real value.
  3. esnet connects siloed resources and builds collaboration between police, schools, nonprofits, and faith organizations.
  4. Pastor Johnson traced esnet's roots to earlier city-police-community dialogue under former Mayor Ardis; esnet represents continuation and expansion.
  5. Police statistics (tip 411, directed patrols, shot-spotter data) show measurable improvement; community partnerships are bearing fruit.
  6. esnet provides framework for evidence-based strategies and identifies funding opportunities from state and federal sources.
• Most compelling support: Dr. Andre W. Allen: "when the council was solicited for feedback on the contract the one resounding thing that the council asked for was input on residency and that is the one thing that's not in the contract"—on an unrelated item, but reflects Allen's general willingness to engage constructively. On esnet: "early on that organization was or that committee was meeting weekly uh and then transition to less frequent meetings but it demonstrated its overall commitment to this issue um and you look at 50 people who have meeting who have been meeting consistently over the last year to address this issue demonstrates how passionate and how they committed they are."

For Project Amani:

• Number of speakers for: 2 (Carolyn Vasquez, Mark Anthony Porch)
• Main arguments:
  1. Vasquez: community-based, ground-level approach emphasizing school partnerships, mentoring, safe passage, and employment (reinvestment in community).
  2. Vasquez: uses CDC-validated strategies; targets 61605 ZIP code for intensive, multi-level intervention.
  3. Porch: testified to Vasquez's credibility, prior work in Peoria (health-and-wellness door-to-door campaign), and partnerships with local organizations (Carver Center, Housing Authority, etc.).
  4. Porch: emphasized that community members should lead and benefit; previous city initiatives sometimes failed to ensure community ownership or compensation.
  5. Vasquez: ready to start immediately at school-year onset; different from assessment-heavy approaches; "we don't provide solutions we educate we empower and we employ."
• Note: Project Amani received unanimous "receive and file" but no funding commitment.

Project Details

Case/Communication Numbers:

• esnet presentation: 22-1197
• Project Amani presentation: (not numbered; informal presentation request)
• Cure Violence assessment: 22-1167

Applicants / Presenters:

• Safety Network (esnet): Dr. Rita Ali (initiator), esnet partner organizations (50+ members including Art Inc., New Beginning Ministries, Peoria Public Schools, nonprofits, police, faith leaders)
• Project Amani: Carolyn Vasquez (Chicago-based advocate) and Mark Anthony Porch (61605 resident, community organizer)
• Cure Violence: (program not present; assessment proposed via council motion)

Attorneys / Legal representation: None mentioned in connection with these items.

Locations:

• esnet meetings: Peoria Police Department, Southside Mission, Proctor Center, Peoria Public Schools (Wisconsin Avenue headquarters), Dr. Karat's professional development room
• esnet focus: Citywide, with emphasis on "higher crime areas" (implied: 61605, 61603 ZIP codes)
• Project Amani target: 61605 ZIP code specifically

Current status / zoning: N/A (not a development or land-use item)

Density / units / funding:

• esnet: No direct budget allocation voted; $67,000+ in annual city staff costs mentioned but not formally approved at this meeting
• Cure Violence assessment: $25,000 from American Rescue Plan fiscal recovery funds (failed to pass)
• Project Amani: Unspecified; Vasquez suggested $25,000 assessment cost comparable to Cure Violence
• State violence-reduction funding available: $7+ million (mentioned by Graab and Ruck Regal as being restricted/pending allocation)

Vote Breakdown

esnet presentation (22-1197) — Motion to receive and file:

• Final: Unanimous
• Yes: All 10 council members present (Dr. Rita Ali, Dr. Andre W. Allen, Sear, Graab, Denise Jackson, Jensen, John Kelly, Zachary Oyler, Timothy Riggenbach, Ruck Regal, Dr. Kiran Velpula)
• No: None
• Abstentions: None

Project Amani presentation — Motion to receive and file:

• Final: Unanimous
• Yes: All council members
• No: None

Cure Violence assessment funding (22-1167) — Motion to approve $25,000:

• Final: Failed 3–6
• Yes: Dr. Andre W. Allen, Denise Jackson, Sear (3)
• No: Graab, John Kelly, Zachary Oyler, Timothy Riggenbach, Ruck Regal, and one additional member whose name was not clearly stated (6)
• Abstentions / Absences: None stated; all 10 members appear present

Police Benevolent Association collective bargaining agreement (22-1222):

• Final: Passed 6–1
• Yes: Denise Jackson, Jensen, John Kelly, Sear, Graab, Ruck Regal, Dr. Kiran Velpula (6) — names not all explicitly stated; inferred from no votes
• No: Zachary Oyler (1, on grounds of missing residency requirement)

Glenn Avenue rehabilitation — Item A (22-1224):

• Final: Unanimous
• Yes: All council members
• No: None

Glenn Avenue State motor fuel tax resolution — Item B (22-1224):

• Final: Unanimous
• Yes: All council members
• No: None

Orange Prairie Road rehabilitation (22-1229):

• Final: Unanimous
• Yes: All council members
• No: None

Emergency vehicle preemption system (22-1223):

• Final: Unanimous
• Yes: All council members
• No: None

Outcome & Next Steps

esnet:

• Presentation received and filed; no new funding or formal commission status approved at this meeting.
• Dr. Rita Ali committed to quarterly updates to council on esnet activities.
• Council requested: (1) presentations and police briefings shared with full council; (2) future meetings noticed and following open-meetings act procedures; (3) information placed on public-facing dashboard (Police Chief committed to this via new transparency dashboard, pending records-management system upgrade; materials to be posted to Facebook in interim).
• Next step: Continued meetings on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays; council will reassess at future meetings whether esnet should be formalized as a commission or continue as community work group.

Cure Violence assessment:

• Failed. No $25,000 assessment will be funded at this time.
• Council direction: Conduct competitive RFP process for all violence-reduction programs before committing American Rescue Plan funds. Graab and Ruck Regal indicated preference for holistic "policy session" before allocating the $7+ million in state violence-reduction money.
• John Kelly requested: Council schedule a policy session on violence prevention with potential dates presented at next meeting (note: required prior notice per Robert's Rules, so this became a request for manager to propose agenda item).

Project Amani:

• Presentation received and filed; no funding approved.
• Implied next step: Community may resubmit proposal if/when RFP is issued; or may pursue direct partnerships with esnet or city departments (e.g., schools, parks) outside city council budget process.

Infrastructure projects (Glenn Avenue, Orange Prairie Road, EMS preemption):

• All approved unanimously; contracts awarded to RA Cullinan (roads) and AMT (EMS coordination).
• Glenn Avenue: Full reconstruction funded by state rebuild Illinois ($7.6M), storm water ($1.5M), motor fuel taxes. Includes signals, surface work, storm water improvements. Contractor to begin upon council approval.
• Orange Prairie Road: Interim improvements only; full $16M reconstruction deferred to 2026–27. Contractors to perform patching, overlay, and storm water work in 2022–2023.

Controversies & Context

Governance and Transparency Fracture: Council's concern centered on whether city staff (funded with public money) should oversee a violence-reduction initiative that operates outside the formal commission structure and appears to lack council input into program selection. The tension reflects a deeper question: Should emergency or novel initiatives be permitted to bypass established governance procedures, or does public accountability require they follow them? Mayor Ali's defense—that esnet is a "community work group" (akin to the passenger rail group) rather than a formal commission—did not fully satisfy Zachary Oyler, Graab, Jensen, and Timothy Riggenbach, who preferred transparency over speed.

Preferential Treatment and RFP Concern: The decision to fund a Cure Violence assessment, seemingly before other evidence-based programs received equal consideration, triggered accusations of insider favoritism. Graab and Ruck Regal framed this as fiscally reckless given $7+ million in state violence-reduction funds: Why not conduct a comprehensive RFP allowing all qualified organizations to compete? The failure of the Cure Violence motion suggests council has signaled a preference for a deliberative, competitive process over incremental funding decisions made behind closed doors (or within esnet).

Community Voice vs. Institutional Process: Project Amani's presentation, by contrast, was community-driven and external; Vasquez and Porch emphasized "boots on the ground" action, employment, and immediate start-date capability. Their critique—that sitting, talking, and assessing while violence continues is a failure of moral urgency—directly challenged the council's tendency toward deliberation and policy sessions. The motion to receive and file, rather than approve funding, left Project Amani in limbo; it is unclear whether council views it as a complement to or competitor with esnet/Cure Violence.

Residency Requirement Debate: Zachary Oyler solo no vote on the police union contract, grounded in the absence of residency requirements, highlighted a different governance concern: whether city employees (especially those in public safety) should be required to live in the community they serve. This reflects a broader (often partisan) debate in municipal governance between union workplace protections and community accountability. Oyler's position—that residency increases officer investment in neighborhood safety—is supported by his stated constituent feedback ("I see a police car across the street I feel safer").

State Funding Constraints and Timing: The mention of $7+ million in state violence-reduction funding (from Governor Pritzker's reimagining public safety initiative) creates time pressure. Dr. Rita Ali noted an upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity in July; organizations and the city must be ready to apply. This urgency may explain why esnet moved to vet proposals before council approval of an overarching strategy, but it also highlights why Graab and others insisted on transparent processes—the money will not stay available indefinitely.

Race and Disproportionate Impact: Mayor Ali's presentation of homicide demographics (over 80% of victims and arrestees are Black; homicide is leading cause of death for ages 15–24, predominantly affecting African American youth) grounded the violence-reduction initiative in the reality of racial disparity. This context is important: the decision to include African American leaders, pastors, and community members in esnet's formation, and the focus on the 61605 ZIP code (Vasquez's description: "predominantly a melanated community"), reflects an intentional effort to center the communities most impacted. However, the reliance on community work groups (as opposed to formal commissions with diverse, appointed membership) may inadvertently limit representation or accountability.

Duration

• esnet and Project Amani presentations + discussion: Approximately 2 hours (6:00 p.m. start; presentations concluded around 8:00 p.m., with council discussion interspersed).
• Cure Violence vote and related discussion: ~15 minutes.
• Total meeting: Approximately 3+ hours (meeting concluded after new business, including council comments on policy sessions, river boat RFP timeline, landlord registration, and bridge lighting maintenance).

Other Notable Items

Summer Litter Patrol (Southside Community United for Change): Denise Jackson highlighted the reactivation of a youth employment program that hired 63 students with overwhelming demand (waiting list present). Included financial literacy training and educational support; Denise Jackson framed employment and community investment as violence-prevention and economic-development strategies, emphasizing that "when people don't have jobs that's when um crime tends to go up."

Road Infrastructure Successes: Council expressed relief and gratitude for the allocation of American Rescue Plan and state rebuild Illinois funds to fix long-standing complaints (Glenn Avenue, Orange Prairie Road, Allen Road). Jensen and Sear highlighted constituent satisfaction; Dr. Andre W. Allen praised public works for creative problem-solving (interim improvements to Orange Prairie Road to buy time until full reconstruction).

Policy Session Request: John Kelly requested a future policy session on violence prevention, to be scheduled with notice and included on next agenda. Manager indicated RFP for consulting support on planning session is underway; timeline to follow.