#violencereduction

Join @greaterbaybrookalliance’s @dheartbe, @amplifybaybrook, and the Baybrook Violence Reduction Team on a Safe Routes for Youth community walk, today at 6:30pm, at the corner of Audrey Avenue and Ruth Street. See you there! #greaterbaybrook #ViolenceReduction #SafeYouth #violenceprevention #saferoutestoschool #communitysafety (at Brooklyn, Md 21225) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQgxYrEJQu6/?utm_medium=tumblr

A Huffington post article written by David M. Kennedy, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, author of Don’t Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America, and co-chair of the National Network for Safe Communities, describes the pivotal role community engagement plays in violence prevention and reduction in America. According to Kennedy, an increasing collection of criminological evidence illustrates that homicide and gun violence are concentrated among serious offenders operating in groups. For example, gangs, drug crews, and the like representing under half of one percent of a city’s population commit half to three-quarters of all murders. Furthermore, some reliable predictors of risk include an individual having a history of violence or a close connection with prior victims of violence. Research on hot spots finds micro-places, like blocks, corners, and buildings, representing just five or six percent of a city, to be responsible for half of the city’s crime. The hot people and groups that are most associated with violent crime are so “hot,” when their offending is statistically abstracted, their neighborhoods cease to be dangerous. Kennedy then concludes, “Their communities aren’t dangerous; they are.” Though Kennedy’s conclusion is controversial, his call to action, community-based intervention, is proven to be effective. Kennedy highlights Chicago, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Philadelphia, Oakland, and Stockton as commendable community, social service, and law enforcement partnerships that have successfully reduced crime among these “hot” populations. Chicago has added "custom notifications" and is using new social network analysis techniques to identify the hottest and most vulnerable people and give them individualized messages about their vulnerability, the help available to them, and their legal risks. The number of homicides in Chicago dropped substantially in 2013, to the lowest level since 1965. The glue holding this approach together is the collaboration between different groups present in the community. Kennedy asserts that by leading with collaborative intervention rather than arrest and incarceration, law enforcement, with the help of community actors (elders on the block, pastors, and other strong, authentic moral voices), is able to repair some historical harm, win the trust of communities, and strengthen their ability to act in the joint interest of the community and the police. This both reduces violence and increases police legitimacy, or the belief that the authorities are acting with respect and in communities’ best interest. Garry McCarthy, Chicago’s Police Superintendent, and Attorney General Eric Holder affirm in Kennedy’s article that transparency and mutual respect are essential in order for violence reduction to be effective. The Chicago Violence Reduction Strategy, mentioned in the Chicago-Cook County CARE plan (Community Anti-Violence and Restoration Effort), is a local collaborative approach bringing law enforcement, community members and social service agencies together to reduce group/gang related shootings and homicides in the local community. These types of approaches foster a focus on preventing violence and incarceration among the people most likely to be touched by both. These initiatives additionally help police protect their cities without having to always incarcerate. Moreover, communities are strengthened, and in turn are able to activate their own voice regarding how to best save their home. Homicide rates may decreased in recent years, but in the areas most affected by violence, namely the south and west sides of Chicago, we ought to look to examples like this to implement effective, sustainable change.