Community Violence Prevention Programs Remain a Smart Investment

Violence prevention and intervention programs have rapidly expanded across the country with support from the Biden-Harris administration. In June of this year, the US Surgeon General published his first consultation recognizing gun violence as a public health crisis and recognizing community violence intervention (CVI) programs as a vital part of the public health approach to ending violence. But without increased federal, state and local investment, these lifesaving programs are doomed to shrink or even disappear.

“CVI” is a new term, but cities have relied on the street-level work of credible messengers for generations to stop escalating tensions and prevent retaliation. The deep connections with the community of these frontline public safety workers allow them to reach people that law enforcement cannot reach.

Unprecedented federal investment has fueled the recent growth of CVI programs. For example, many cities used help in times of pandemic funds to launch or expand CVI programs or to create local violence prevention officesthat improve coordination between these programs and the broader public safety ecosystem. Estimated as of March 2024 $377 million dollars to combat the pandemic, 231 CVI projects were funded.

Street outreach programs address the root causes of gun violence by providing high-risk individuals with housing, treatment resources, case management, and job placement services. When implemented properly, modern CVI programs can reduce gun homicides by as much as 10%. 60 percent. And for every dollar invested in these programs, they can save taxpayers up to $41 for medical and criminal legal expenses.

For example, gun violence in Detroit fell by double digits for the second year in a row after the city awarded federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to six organizations as part of its program. ShotStoppers CVI program. Thanks to increased coordination between the city and groups such as garden paths, The murder rate in Bakersfield, California has decreased every year since 2022, while the number of gun deaths has increased. down 39 percent this year. Philadelphia murders dropped by almost 70 percent compared to three years earlier after the city formed an interdepartmental working group analyze gun violence data and invest federal, state and local funds to support hospital based programs and CVI programs in which frontline outreach workers connect people with housing, employment and treatment resources.

Despite growing evidence showing that investing in CVI saves lives and money, these programs often operate on tight budgets and are often forced to justify your own existence. Outreach workers risk their lives to spread anti-violence messages and offer a different path for people at increased risk of engaging in gun violence. Without adequate funding, these workers will not be able to provide vulnerable community members with the tools they need to change behavior and restore a sense of hope and connection in their lives.

The administration has repeatedly recognized the need. In 2022, the Ministry of Justice created Community Violence Prevention and Prevention Initiativeis the first federal grant program for CVI purposes. The program’s rewards quickly doubled when Congress passed the Bipartisan Safe Communities Act. In total, the Biden-Harris administration has provided $400 million in funding for the program since its inception.

But alarmingly, many of the programs created or expanded by these federal funds will soon be at risk of layoffs and even closure. With two major sources of federal CVI funds set to expire in 2026—ARPA and the Bipartisan Safe Communities Act—increasing federal investment is more urgent than ever before.

If passed by Congress, Nevada Democrat Steven Horsford’s bill Breaking the Cycle of Violence Act would create the first federal office to combat community violence within the Department of Health and Human Services. It would also provide $5 billion in grants over five years for regional CVI programs and provide an additional $1.5 billion for workforce training and job opportunities for young people in those programs. The funds proposed in this bill will help ensure that our nation’s most vulnerable cities can carry out violence prevention and prevention work, and that the people on the front lines of that work are adequately compensated.

Meanwhile, instead of passing stricter gun laws and increasing investment in addressing the root causes of violence, Republicans are trying to liquidate funding public health approaches to reducing gun violence and protect federal law enforcement focused on solving violent crimes. In June, a spending bill proposed by House Republicans proposed cutting the Justice Department budget by nearly $1 billion, which would eliminate funding for all CVI programs, as well as thousands law enforcement positions. The bill also eliminated funds for government research on prevention. firearm injuries and deaths.

In light of this, and recognizing the importance of expanding violence intervention programs, a growing number of states have decided to act proactively rather than wait to see if Congress can pass the Breaking the Cycle of Violence Act. For example, Pennsylvania’s latest budget includes $45 million for a violence prevention and intervention program and an additional $11.5 million for regional after-school CVI programs. Michigan’s budget included $7.8 million for CVI services and related grants. Florida is now accepting applications for the new CVI grant program created with $2.5 million to general funds. California took an innovative approach by introducing 11 percent excise tax on Firearms and Ammunition, which is expected to raise $160 million annually. Funds will then go toward CVI programs, school safety initiatives, and resources for victims of gun violence.

Cities and counties that invest in CVI programs have seen record decline in gun violence and deaths. In fact, this year saw the lowest “summer surge” in gun violence in the United States since 2018. Police and prosecutors play an important role in the public safety ecosystem, but we cannot stop our way out of a public health crisis—and law enforcement is increasingly supportive CVI programs. Police admit they can’t do the job alone. But without additional funding for these violence intervention programs to supplement or replace those that are about to expire, cities across America can expect to see more retaliatory shootings and higher homicide rates in the coming years.

To avoid undoing the important progress that has been made, we need reliable and coordinated funding for CVI programs at the local, state and federal levels. Time is running out – if we don’t invest in security now, our communities will pay the ultimate price.

Nick Wilson is senior director of gun violence prevention at the Center for American Progress.

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