Chicagoans love and defend our city fiercely, and for good reason. From the Garfield Park Conservatory to the South Shore Cultural Center, to our more than 600 parks, to our world-renowned research and academic institutions, our pride is justified.

It is also true that Chicago’s gun violence and crime have long been a political punchline. But lowering crime rates here does not require an occupation of our city by armed members of the National Guard, as the White House continues to threaten us with. Chicagoans, including survivors of violence, have spoken out against such an extreme measure.

Sending in the National Guard is the wrong solution to a real problem. If President Trump had listened to the city’s leaders, he would recognize that Chicago just experienced record-low homicide numbers, making this the safest summer since the 1960s, a result of effective collaboration between communities and law enforcement.

Let me be clear: As long as there is a single family that loses a loved one to gun violence, we still have work to do. Even at a six-decade low, the level of violence we see in our city is unacceptable, and we are working every day to drive down violence and prevent shootings.

The importance of this effort is not theoretical for me. My wife and I are raising our three children in the Austin community, on the West Side of Chicago. As much as I love our neighborhood, it is one of the parts of our city where gun violence is most pervasive. At my own home, I’ve had to replace a window shattered by a stray bullet. I’ve lost neighbors and members of my church community. It is because I go to sleep and wake up on the West Side every day that I feel so strongly about finding lasting solutions to Chicago’s persistent problem with gun violence.

While the causes of crime and violence are complex, it is clear that poverty plays a central role. The neighborhoods with the most shootings have long been some of the most impoverished. In these neighborhoods, we often see high levels of unemployment and underfunded local schools as well as a lack of mental health services. The National Guard will not and cannot address those needs.