By Helena Battipaglia
City of Cincinnati
Alongside the Cincinnati Police Department and City and community leaders on July 8, Mayor Aftab Pureval announced violence prevention strategies and programs to curb violence during the summer and into fall.
“During these critical summer months when violence is historically higher, we are coming together to announce new and expanded strategies to disrupt violence through community and data-based initiatives,” Mayor Aftab Pureval said. “This is a time when we need to bring everyone to the table, and it is our continued commitment to do just that.”
The initiatives announced include:
- Dedicating $1.5 million in reprogrammed federal funds to enhancing and expanding the work of PIVOT, an award-winning, problem-solving strategy focusing on stabilizing the targeted sites and networks that facilitate violence. *Dedicated funds in FY23.
- $58,000 in City funding for Whitney/Strong’s Safe a Life initiative – a training program to prepare potential bystanders with the skills to help victims and sustain lives during the critical moments before EMS arrives. *Human Services Advisory Committee FY22-23 RFP money.
- $233,000 in City funding for Santa Maria Community Services and the Lower Price Hill Collaboration for Youth, a violence prevention collaborative bringing residents and organizations together to disrupt the pathways to violence through youth mentoring, advocacy, and character-building programming. *Human Services Advisory Committee FY22-23 RFP money.
- $600,000 in City funding for the Urban League’s Community Partnering Center to provide crisis intervention, de-escalation, and mentoring to at-risk individuals. *Budget approved leverage funding.
- $85,000 in City funding and $247,000 total for Community Works’ Phoenix Program, one that breaks the cycles of generational poverty and risk of violence by promoting career development and leadership opportunities. *Budget approved leverage funding.
- Using federal American Rescue Plan funds to support the strategic planning and social innovation process for Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence. (CIRV)
“The Cincinnati Police Department is committed to exploring strategies to reduce violence in our city. While we continue our efforts with the Crime Gun Intelligence Center, PIVOT, and Youth initiatives, we are also pursuing grants to expand into other areas,” Interim Police Chief Teresa Theetge said. “We will also continue to deploy officers into hot spot locations. Year-to-date, we have seen reductions in our shootings and homicides and will continue to strive to attain additional reductions.”
“The City has and is committed to addressing the violence as a public health crisis,” Councilmember Scotty Johnson said. “We will continue to work as a City with the broad coalition of partners we have, as we are dedicated to our strategic plan to addressing violence.”
“The public health and safety of our neighborhoods is a first priority of the City Manager’s Office and our Human Services Work,” Director of Human Services Virginia Tallent said. “All Cincinnatians deserve to live in safe neighborhoods where children and families are safe and can thrive.”
