APPROACHES TO BUILDING SAFE COMMUNITIES
The GASC works to center, sustain, and expand community-based programs and services designed to prevent and reduce violence and increase community safety. Member agencies fund a variety of violence prevention strategies including hospital-based services for victims, youth programs, vocational and job training programs, and street outreach and community violence intervention (CVI) programs.
Community Violence Intervention (CVI)
CVI saves lives, provides opportunities, and improves the underlying conditions and root causes that drive violence in our communities by following two main principles:
- Engaging those at the highest risk of perpetrating or falling victim to violence, to interrupt incidents of violence, and
- Providing social services to those at highest risk to heal unresolved trauma and interrupt cycles of violence in those individuals’ lives and, in turn, their communities.
CVI approaches are evidence-informed, community-centered, multidisciplinary, and intended to both prevent and disrupt community violence
Local CVI Programming & Research
The Chicago region has a long history of innovative violence prevention programs that are supported by philanthropic and public funders. In 2016, CVI organizations responded to a spike in gun violence by actively working to identify and serve individuals at high risk of perpetrating violence or being a victim of violence. Today, as public funding at the city, county, and state level has increased, Chicago’s CVI network has grown to dozens of organizations that are currently active in nearly half of Chicago’s 77 communities, including all of those with the highest levels of gun violence. Collectively, they serve more than 3,000 individuals, representing about 15-20 percent of the highest risk population.
Communities Partnering for Peace (CP4P)
Communities Partnering for Peace (CP4P) works with hyperlocal community-based organizations and relies on strong relationships with the Chicago Police Department, individuals, and communities. Outreach workers engage in both violence interruption and prevention strategies. CP4P also provides case management support to returning residents, prior to and upon release. The program is administered by Metropolitan Family Services with key support from Chicago CRED, Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC), and GASC funders.
Additional Research:
Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2)
In 2024, GASC joined leaders in the philanthropic, non-profit, and business communities to work together towards scaling CVI investments with the goal of significantly reducing gun violence in Chicago over the next decade. In collaboration with the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC) and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the "Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago" (SC2) is expected to roll out over the next decade with coordinated efforts from community-based and citywide stakeholders as well as state, county, and city governments.
Flatlining Violence Inspires Peace (FLIP)
The Peacekeepers Program is a partnership with CP4P organizations spearheaded by Chicago CRED and the State of Illinois. This model employs peacekeepers who are deployed to 80-90 of the Chicago locations experiencing high levels of violence during evenings and weekends. Their presence alone has helped dramatically reduce shootings at these “hot spots.” The program began in 2018 with private funding and is now publicly funded and operating year-round in 28 Chicago communities.
Research:
Professionalization of CVI Programs
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) efforts have long existed, and a growing body of evidence supports the efficacy of CVI for reducing community violence. Organizations like the READI National Center and University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Safety Leadership Academy are working towards the formalization and professionalization of CVI programs to support and further the impact of the organizations and individuals leading the work.
READI National Center
READI National Center partners with communities, cities, and organizations to strengthen their approaches to CVI through systems change, program innovation, field support and knowledge sharing. READI National Center is an expansion of READI’s flagship work in Chicago and is a prime example of how Chicago and Cook County are leading the way on national CVI strategies.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Launched by the University of Chicago Crime Lab, the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) offers first-of-their-kind programs to train the next generation of CVI leaders from across America and the world, rigorously evaluating the program to determine its effectiveness.