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Kane County to accept IDHS Reimagine Public Safety grant for Aurora-focused gun-violence prevention work
Summary
The committee authorized the acceptance of an Illinois Department of Human Services continuation grant to fund community convening, prevention work and free gun-safety resources in Aurora; the grant is approximately $121,000 for one year, pending state notification.
Kane County's Public Health Committee authorized acceptance of a continuation grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) under the Reimagine Public Safety program to support community convening, prevention activities and distribution of gun-safety resources in Aurora.
Michael Isaacson described the IDHS grant as a convener grant that funds a position to bring together law enforcement, social-service organizations and community groups to coordinate post-shooting response and upstream prevention. Isaacson said Aurora was placed on the IDHS list because the city's absolute number of shootings, tied to its population size, qualified it even though its rate per capita is relatively low compared with other communities on the list.
The grant supports activities such as distributing free gun locks and biometric safes and coordinating services that aim to reduce firearm theft and suicide risk related to firearms. "This is not a Second Amendment issue," Isaacson said, describing the effort as offering "free resources to gun owners so that they can safely secure their firearms." He added the county has partnered with the Aurora Police Department and the sheriff's office and can use funds to support youth-development work with community partners.
The committee voted to accept authorization to enter the agreement; staff said the award amount is roughly $121,000 for a one-year period but final notification and contract details were pending from the state. Committee members asked about partner engagement and the sheriff's office's role; staff confirmed law-enforcement partners are included.
