Wreaking gun violence attacks those working to end it

Jason Rodriguez, outreach supervisor at Lifecamp, hangs a banner as families of gun violence victims gather at Where Do We Go From Here to leave mementos for the Gun Violence Memorial Project on November 11, 2021 in Queens, New York. Credit – Michael M. Santiago—Getty Images

OhOn June 25, general practitioner Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a landmark opinion on gun violence, declaring that the epidemic of gun violence in the United States was a public health crisis. Dr. Murthy detailed the devastating and profound impact of gun violence on the health and well-being of the country, noting that it is now the leading cause of death for Americans 19 and younger.

For gun violence prevention activists, advocates, and funders, the Surgeon General’s proclamation is a sad but important validation of a decades-long effort. It also underscores the ongoing need to support the thousands of people who work every day on the front lines to reduce violence in some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.

Learn more: U.S. surgeon general declares gun violence a public health crisis

One of the most promising solutions to gun violence, an approach called community violence intervention (CVI), relies on community workers risking their lives to save others. CVI strategies are a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating safer communities: they use evidence-based, community-led strategies that engage individuals and groups most at risk of experiencing and /or to perpetrate violence. This work builds relationships and supports that disrupt cycles of violence and retaliation, and includes neighborhood and hospital-based interventions, life coaching, peace fellowships, violence-focused cognitive behavioral therapy , And much more.

The organization I lead, the Safer Futures Fund, funds CVI’s work because the approach has proven increasingly effective. An evaluation of a program in Chicago, for example, found that participants were 73 percent less likely to be arrested for a violent crime than individuals who did not participate. Additionally, an analysis of the Advance Peace CVI model found a 22 percent decrease in homicides and gun assaults, saving at least $25 million. And a 2021 study in Richmond, California, found that the model was associated with a 55 percent reduction in gun violence, including deaths and hospital visits, and a 43 percent reduction in crime annually. These findings are leading to increased investment in CVI, including $300 million allocated by Congress in 2022.

All of these CVI programs rely heavily on street workers. As a former street worker, I have seen first-hand the consequences of this work. We engage in the lives of people affected by gun violence to resolve conflicts, and in doing so, we build deep relationships with them and their families. Sometimes we still lose them to gun violence. And like other first responders, we return to the field to continue saving lives. But more often than not, it leaves consequences invisible to most Americans.

Research by sociologist David Hureau and colleagues at the University at Albany, supported in part by the Safer Future Fund, shows how difficult the tasks of responding to community violence are. Based on surveys of Chicago outreach workers, the research is staggering: 60% of outreach workers have witnessed an attempted shooting and 52% have seen a client die as a result of violence. One in five outreach workers have been shot, making them 20 times more likely to be shot than a Chicago police officer. And almost all face unrelenting stress: 94% reported indicators of secondary traumatic stress, due to caring for traumatized people, in the past week.

Learn more: Guns are not just a public health problem

These statistics come to life in interviews with Chicago outreach workers conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “I think what happens is we get so invested in other people’s lives that we don’t realize the harm we’re doing to ourselves,” said one outreach worker. “I was MIA from work for about two months…I was having very violent nightmares,” said another.

“The majority of street responders suffered enormously,” says Kathryn Bocanegra, an assistant professor at the school, in a 2021 study. Between a bullet and its target: street intervention, exposure to trauma and professional implications. “They are so brave and noble in what they do, returning to their community and the streets, and trying to redefine the narrative around what they do and who they are. But they do it without weapons and without bulletproof vests.”

The implications are clear: Unless we ensure the health, safety, and economic security of street workers, these programs will struggle to hire and retain workers who play a key role in reducing gun violence. . CVI workers deserve adequate medical and life insurance, regular screening for signs of trauma, and appropriate mental health services when they exhibit signs of trauma.

At a meeting of CVI professionals in April, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland highlighted the significant decline in homicides across the country and thanked CVI workers for their role in creating cleaner communities. safe. He also announced a new investment of $78 million in CVI by the federal government. We share his gratitude and enthusiasm for the continued investment in CVI, and we will continue to advocate for using these investments to support and protect outreach workers.

For communities to fully realize the potential of CVI, we must build on this momentum and treat outreach workers with the respect and dignity they deserve. Let’s honor the sacrifices they make every day as they work to make our communities safer. They put their hearts into their work and put their bodies on the line to protect ours. And they do it with determination, courage and love.

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