In the U.S Richmond’s violence prevention program was responsible for 61% decline in gun violence deaths and injuries. The health impacts are lives saved, safer streets, and community members with a renewed positive life outlook
Violence prevention program responsible for 61% decline in gun violence deaths and injuries
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A new study by researchers at UC Berkeley’s Center for Global Healthy Cities published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open found that the California city of Richmond’s Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) was responsible for a 61% reduction in that city’s firearm homicides and injury shootings over the last 14 years.
This is one of the only studies in the country to document the sustained impacts of a community violence intervention (CVI) program on city-wide firearm violence over more than ten years.
According to lead author Alice Bruno, a doctoral student in epidemiology at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, “We leveraged data from dozens of comparable cities across the United States to estimate what firearm violence would have looked like in Richmond without the ONS, Peacemaker Fellowship. We found that the Fellowship contributed to long-term reductions in violence, and that the declines only grew as the program operated.” Other UC Berkeley co-authors include Dr. Jason Corburn; Dr. Mahasin Mujahid, chair of the Division of Epidemiology; Dr. Sean Darling-Hammond; and Dr. Juan Cabrera.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2853466
No surprise that actual mental health support and social support reduces crime. But still valuable to have evidence to back it up.
This is remarkable if it is replicable, particularly if it can be done at scale in larger cities.
my neighborhood saw a similar drop after a program like this
Wow crazy the fix to gun violence is not just banning guns. It’s addressing behaviors. Truly astounding findings.
Encouraged to see targeted, community focused interventions to reduce violence working. Broad based bans seem kind of silly if focus can be made directly addressing violence within communities.
Blm glad to see America identifying a problem correctly
What would have been the cost of apprehension, incarceration, various attorneys, trial, and further incarceration or probation? Now subtract the costs of the program. I would wager the result is a large positive number, the inverse of what many people would believe.