Violence Reduction
We want to reduce community violence, support a safe future for all community members, and minimize the fear that comes from living in communities without effective responses to violence.
While violent crime remains at historical lows, concentrations of violence persist in communities across the United States. Homicide is the number one cause of death for Black males ages 15 – 34, and the second leading cause of death for young Hispanic males. The majority of violent crimes are not reported to the police — and when they are reported, the police’s ability to address them is often hampered by their failure to adequately investigate, as well as low trust. Policymakers, law enforcement, and community-based organizations are all struggling to identify the most effective interventions to reduce violence.
We’re supporting researchers to build a body of evidence about what works to reduce community violence. Experts are examining which strategies work in particular contexts, the degree of police involvement that is most appropriate in communities where there is low trust in police, and how to effectively implement strategies that appear to work in other jurisdictions. Through this emerging portfolio, we will work with researchers, policymakers, practitioners, community members and advocates to support the piloting, evaluation, and scaling of innovations to reduce violence.
Image: Safe Streets staff Lamont Medley, violence interruptor, left, and I Michael Brown, outreach worker, point out hotspots in Baltimore as they review mapping data on shootings to determine when are where the most violence is occurring. The team will use the results to determine where the greatest need is. Safe Streets is a program started in Baltimore to reduce gun violence by deploying violence interruptors to deescalate conflicts before they turn deadly. (Andre Chung/The Washington Post via Getty Images file)
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