FLIP (Flatlining Violence Inspires Peace), is a four-year-old effort to create a safe presence at hot spots during summertime afternoon to late-night hours, mid-week through the weekend. According to Chicago CRED, when FLIP workers are present at hot spots, shootings incidents drop almost to zero.
Starting mid-May, eight street outreach partners (New Life, UCAN, Breakthrough, INVC, ALSO, Target, Acclivus, and CRED) placed over 300 FLIP peacekeepers in 77 hot spots to maintain safety, interrupt violence, and negotiate peace in conflict zones. The hot spots, identified through crime data and outreach workers, are in twelve neighborhoods: Austin, East and West Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale and Little Village on the West Side and Back of the Yards, Englewood, West Englewood, Grand Crossing, Roseland and West Pullman on the South Side.
During Memorial Day weekend, only one of the 77 FLIP sites experienced a shooting, and the 12 FLIP communities accounted for less than a third of the overall gun violence citywide, even though they are the highest-crime neighborhoods. Since the program launched, more than 90% of hot spots have experienced zero shootings.