NPR’s 1A podcast did an episode on “The Pragmatism Of Community Violence Prevention Programs,” featuring Governor Cooper, who issued an executive order earlier this year establishing the North Carolina Office of Violence Prevention. Here’s what the Governor had to say about CVI specifically:
“[W]hat we’re hoping is that this office of violence prevention can help us get into communities, get at the root of violence, and make a difference. I’ve spent time going across our state, talking to people directly … We have seen things like the Gate City Coalition in Greensboro, we had Ingrid Bell come and talk to us about intervention programs that work to de-escalate [and] mediate conflicts in communities. She’s put this organization in place [by] meeting people in their community who are most likely to be victims or perpetrators of gun violence [and] working to mediate their issues [and] to refer them to services. [O]ver the last three years, in [an] area that had seen a very high number of gun violence situations—they [Gate City Coalition] have been able to significantly reduce it … We’re going to take this Office of Violence Prevention and help to replicate programs like these across our state, share data, make sure that people across North Carolina understand about evidence-based programs that are proven to work.”
The NPR episode also features Chico Tillmon and Professor Daniel Webster who both provide an excellent overview of CVI programs, their key components, and some of the evidence demonstrating their effectiveness. The full episode is highly recommended.