Ultimately, what we're looking for is long-term success, where young people change their behaviors, and they're able to sustain employment.
James “JT” Timpson, Roca Impact Institute
By focusing on the small number of people who are most connected to local cycles of violence, community violence intervention (CVI) programs approach violence reduction by providing specialized support and access to services. Research shows that when properly implemented and funded, CVI programs are among the most effective strategies for addressing community violence and encouraging people to pursue alternative avenues for resolving conflicts. CVI programs have reduced shootings by as much as 60 percent and reduced arrests for violent crimes by more than 70 percent.
However, quantitative studies cannot always convey the profound ways credible messengers intervene in the lives of those affected by community violence and create CVI success stories every day. As gun violence continues to fall in cities that have invested in CVI programs, federal, state, and local policymakers must double down on their investments in the front-line workers risking their lives to transform their communities plagued by high levels of gun violence.