From New York to Los Angeles, to Harrisburg, PA, and an increasing number of cities in between, a new approach to ending gun violence, especially in marginalized communities in urban areas, is starting to bear fruit and save lives. It is called violence interrupter programs.
Last July, Friends Place on Capitol Hill and Friends Committee on National Legislation hosted more than a dozen leaders of violence interrupter programs for the first Violence Interrupter Symposium.
People ranging from mid-20s to late 60s gathered to talk about the challenges facing their communities and the opportunities at hand in crime prevention. They emphasized the importance of their community-based work and the threats of losing government and other funding for their work.
It is easy to count crimes. Each city has an official number for homicides, arson, car-jackings, etc., each year. But how does one measure crimes on the verge of being committed but ultimately avoided? Just talk to a violence interrupter.
“There was a shooting at a nightclub in Allentown, PA. Ten people were shot. The city was on fire. There was going to be huge retaliation. We talked about what a truce would look like. Ten people being shot can very easily lead to 50 people being shot. We’re talking about AR-15s, AK-47s,” said Dr. Hasshan Batts, executive director of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley.
“What we centered on was the children. If this violence continues to escalate, little kids are going to be killed.”
“What we centered on was the children. If this violence continues to escalate, little kids are going to be killed. There was no retaliation. Zero. Had it not been for our team, this thing would have been ugly,” he said.
Violence interrupters, or credible messengers as they are sometimes called, bring invaluable first-hand experience and understanding of the communities they serve. They are uniquely equipped to mediate conflicts and prevent violence before it escalates. Their expertise lies in understanding the complexities of violence and in offering solutions based on their experience.
When tensions flare, they step in. They listen, they understand, and they mediate. Though their work is not easy, it has proven effective. Through their dedication, they not only prevent conflicts from escalating but also rewrite the narrative of violence, paving the way for a more peaceful future.
“We care about you, and we value you. This isn’t about a paycheck.”
“I’ve been in social work for 49 years. The product of a broken home and grandma raised. She had love and compassion for humans. I see myself manifest in her footsteps,” said Dr. Gwendolyn Andrews, who manages a program of community mediators in the Richmond (VA) Police Department. “We care about you, and we value you. This isn’t about a paycheck.”
With increases in community violence and the prevalence of guns in the country, the demand for more violence interrupter programs is growing. Yet Congress’ recent fiscal year funding of $50 million for these programs is not enough.
“These programs are indispensable for reducing violence and improving community safety, but they are not receiving the funding required to address the needs of communities suffering from all types of violence, especially gun violence,” said Jose Santos Moreno, FCNL’s justice reform director.
Equipped with their stories, participants visited three members of Congress to lobby for an increase in funding for violence interrupter programs. “Voting for additional funding might not show up in the year-end crime numbers, but the results of failing to pass additional funding certainly will,” Moreno added.
