(upbeat music) (audience applauding) - Thank you.

When we treat people as though they are invisible, they will behave as though they are invisible.

Too often, communities ignore the onset of violence because they feel unsafe.

They rather pretend that it doesn't matter.

My 32 years of policing, I learned that communities must not only feel supported by police, but they also must feel supported by all government, by not-for-profit organizations, and businesses, to address violence.

As a young Black boy, I grew up on the West Side of Chicago, in the West Garfield neighborhood.

I had to make multiple decisions when I exit my door, as most Black boys do today.

When I walked to the left down the street, I had to either deal with the "Gangster Disciples" street gang.

I walked to the right, I had to deal with the "Four Corner Hustlers" street gangs.

My stress has increased 'cause if I walk forward, I now had to deal with the occupation of the Chicago police.

My mother gave birth to me in 1965 when she was 16 years old, with little or no support from my father.

My mother let her gave birth to my two other brothers.

My mother now had to raise three young Black boys on the West Side of Chicago, in the West Garfield neighborhood.

My three uncles, they became victims of the conditions of West Garfield.

Uncle number one survived a tour in Vietnam, but when he returned, he was shot and killed.

Uncle number two was in and out of the penitentiary where we took trips to visit him.

But when he was released back to West Garfield, he died of an overdose of heroin.

Uncle number three, death was soon to follow.

He was found dead in my grandmother's basement on the floor from an overdose of heroin.

Why do I bring up my uncles?

Because my mother now feared that the West Side would take her three boys.

In 1978, my mother packed us up and we moved to the North Side of Chicago.

It is now 2025.

Over 50 years later, gun violence and drugs continue to take the lives of many in the West Garfield neighborhood.

I remember exiting our new apartment, and as I walked outside, I felt an unreal feeling, I looked to my left, and there were no gangs.

I looked to my right, and there were no gangs.

I didn't feel stressed when I looked straight because the occupation of the police wasn't there.

This neighborhood was visible.

I could hear the joys of laughter, and not the cries of sorrow, which later followed by the sounds of a siren.

However, one evening, I'm running home from a friend's house, and a police car cuts my path off and stops.

The officers exited the car and demanded that I put my hands on the hood of their vehicle.

I complied.

As I stood there, the officers exited the vehicle and they searched me.

One officer reached into my pocket and he pulled out my library card, looked at it and said, "You don't need that," and he tossed it to the ground.

Police can create or destroy trust.

Police can make you feel safe or unsafe.

Young Black boys, at least this one, has been conditioned to deal with police.

I have, as a young boy, was the victim of police misconduct.

I have had the police stick a gun in my face and call me that dreaded "N" word.

Well, today, Patrolman Ernest Cato III, Youth Investigator Ernest Cato III, Detective Ernest Cato III, Sergeant Ernest Cato III, Lieutenant Commander, Deputy Chief and Chief Ernest Cato III.

One may ask, "Why did you choose to become a police officer?"

I did not choose to become a police officer, life chose that for me.

But I knew, I knew I did not want to be an abusive officer that disrespected the communities I served.

I knew I wanted to be a part of the community, but not feared by the community.

I knew that I did not want that young Black boy to feel stressed just because his only option was to walk towards me.

As a homicide detective, I learned quick.

I learned the importance of building a relationship with the victims and witnesses.

And because of those relationships, the victims and witnesses became our partners in solving their cases.

Victims and witnesses who live in communities that are plagued with violence, feel alone, and sometimes not supported.

We must recognize and deal with violence, but we must identify trauma and treat it.

When I was selected commander of the 15th District, which is in the Austin community, which is boarded by West Garfield, I was aware that residents on certain blocks treated drugs and gangs as though it was invisible.

And that was because they felt alone and not supported.

The open air drug market was clear.

Mass shootings, multiple people shot, but no witnesses identified.

My second week as a commander, a resident came into my office and she said, "Commander, what are you gonna do about the drugs and gangs on my block?"

And I said, "I'm gonna support you.

You're going to take the lead."

And I asked her, or instructed her, "Come back next week with 10 residents from your block."

She showed up with 12.

(audience laughs) She was ready.

And I said to that 12, "You will take the lead.

I will support you.

I have just one simple strategy, that you do not treat the eels on your block as though they are invisible.

You will come up with a predetermined time that you would exit your homes together and just walk your block.

Greet the young men with a polite hello, and make them feel included."

Well, at these predetermined times, the police would arrive, and just do simple foot patrols.

The police will engage with the community, the police engage with those on the corner.

Before we knew it, more folks on the blocks participated.

More folks came to the office and we strategized.

They built relationships with my community police and sergeant.

And guess what happened?

The open drug market moved.

Why did it move?

Because the sellers and the buyers were no longer invisible.

I'm sitting at a community meeting and the elderly lady says to me, "Commander, these young boys, they sit in front of my house, they're fighting, their music is loud, and I'm afraid to say anything."

I said, "Ma'am, I bet your living room is designed like mine."

The rear of your couch sits by the window, in front of your sofa, there's a television."

And she just looked at me, nodded, but she gave me that look, "Is he crazy?"

I said, "Take a broom with you, and while you're watching your show and you hear those young boys in front of your house, take your broom and hit the curtain."

She returned to the next meeting excited, she couldn't wait.

And she said, "Commander, I heard those young boys in front of my house.

I took the broom and I hit the curtain a couple of times.

A couple of days later, well, I heard one of the young boys say, 'That crazy old lady's looking out the window again.'"

(audience laughs) They moved, but did not return.

Why did they move?

They were no longer invisible.

Police and the community must work together to address issues in the community, but the police can't do it alone.

Police are trained to respond to violent crime scenes.

When the ambulance departs and the crime scene comes down, and the police leave, who will address the trauma in the community?

Who will address the children who observed a deceased person lying in a pool of blood?

Who will address the possibility of a retaliatory shooting?

Community organizations are powerful.

In 2018, while serving as a commander in the 15th District, I had the luxury of some really great organizations in the Austin district.

We came up with art, and it was a art, the Austin Response Team.

This team consisted of Jehovah Jireh #1, a powerful street minister who worked out of his car, Chicago Build, Institute of Nonviolence Chicago, Hope Community Church, Austin Coming Together, and the Westside Health Authority.

They took the lead.

I may have provided the information.

They took the lead, and we provided the support, and we empowered them.

They were able to address the trauma in the community.

They were able to get in front of retaliatory shootings.

Because of their efforts in the partnership with the Chicago Police Department, we saw a reduction in shootings and homicides.

From 2017 to 2022, it just dipped because of the power of collaboration.

If we empower and support our communities, people will come out of the shadows and participate.

And guess what?

Their neighborhoods will become visible.

(audience applauding) (upbeat music)