May 2014

Tracing the Guns: The Impact of Illegal Guns on Violence in Chicago

In 2014, the University of Chicago Crime Lab and the City of Chicago published the first report to understand the origins of illegal crime guns.

The report was updated in 2017.

Related Resources
Policing Leadership Academy (PLA) Overview
Handout

Policing Leadership Academy (PLA) Overview

Aug 2025

Read an overview of the Policing Leadership Academy (PLA), a first of-its-kind program launched in May 2023 to train America’s policing leaders working in some of our most violent neighborhoods.

Policing Leadership Academy Advisory and Research Committees
Other

Policing Leadership Academy Advisory and Research Committees

May 2025

View the members of the PLA’s advisory and research committees.

Video: Reducing Violence and Improving Policing
Video

Video: Reducing Violence and Improving Policing

Feb 2025

This video offers a glimpse into the Policing Leadership Academy, a violence reduction initiative designed to prevent violent crime, support officers, and improve fairness and effectiveness in policing throughout some of the country’s most violent neighborhoods.

Video: Creating Safer Communities by Improving Policing
Video

Video: Creating Safer Communities by Improving Policing

Jan 2025

Griffin Catalyst highlights the Policing Leadership Academy, a new national leadership program that brings together rising police leaders from around the country for five months of advanced, intensive training in management best practices, leveraging data and technology and building community trust—all with the ultimate goal of creating safer, more vibrant communities.

Latest Updates

The Alumni Dispatch: How CVILA Alumni are Shaping Policy, Practice, and Narrative
Q&A
UChicago Crime Lab
Sep 2025

The Alumni Dispatch: How CVILA Alumni are Shaping Policy, Practice, and Narrative

Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Managers Alesisia Cobb and Heather Bland sat down with alumni DeVita Briscoe from Seattle, WA and Nikesha Tilton from Selma, AL to discuss the progress of their capstone projects, their evolving leadership roles, and the systemic changes they’re pushing forward in their cities and states.

Shaping the Future of Policing Through Commander Training
Podcast
Brooks Bawden Moore Blog
Sep 2025

Shaping the Future of Policing Through Commander Training

Policing Leadership Academy (PLA) Executive Director Meredith Stricker and Director of Outreach and Engagement Kenneth Corey join the Brooks Bawden Moore, LLC podcast to discuss the academy’s focus on commanders and helping departments across the country reduce violence and strengthen public safety.

The federal help Chicago really needs
Op-Ed
Crain's Chicago Business
Aug 2025

The federal help Chicago really needs

The Policing Leadership Academy’s Meredith Stricker and Kenneth Corey penned an op-ed discussing the recent spotlight on crime in the U.S. and the academy’s focus on building the capacity of police commanders managing jurisdictions with the highest rates of violence.