Implementation of a Community Gun Violence Prevention Program: A Focus on Outreach Workers' Efforts Daniel W. Webster, ScD, MPH Jon S. Vernick, JD, MPH Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health © 2006, Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.

Background Baltimore has had one of the nation’s highest homicide rates. 77% committed with firearm. 59% of victims < 25 years old. Baltimore City Health Dept. looked at CeaseFire Chicago’s public health model and preliminary evidence of effectiveness. Sought and received USDOJ earmark to implement program in Balitmore. CeaseFire Chicago received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to provide training and technical assistance to other cities wanting to replicate the program. © 2006, Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.

Core Program Components community mobilization around goal of stopping shootings – coalitions of resident associations, youth service organizations, faith leaders, police, and health department outreach to high-risk youth – build trust, direct to services, model non-violence, mediate conflicts public education: “stop shootings” message faith-based involvement – spiritual direction, safe haven, preach non-violence, response to shootings, mobilize community criminal justice participation – give outreach workers space, provide data on shootings, cooperation with response to shootings and community events © 2006, Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.

% change 1st year after CeaseFire implementation, 6 neighborhoods, 2000-2004.

% change 1st year after CeaseFire implementation, 8 neighborhoods, 2005-2006.

Bringing the Program to Baltimore Dr. Slutkin to Baltimore to sell model to Baltimore officials, media, community leaders. RFA for community groups working in neighborhoods with the most shootings. Pre-application information sessions on model. Only 1 applicant got the model and was funded. Operation Safe Streets launched in June 2007 in McElderry Park (East). Supported part of program director, community coordinator, outreach worker supervisor, 4 outreach workers. Soon to add outreach workers and expand into adjacent neighborhood. 2nd round of proposals with additional pre-application information. COIL funded for Union Square (West). Kick off Nov. ’07. Chicago-Baltimore shuttle for outreach worker trainings Media campaign set for citywide launch in January ’08. © 2006, Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.

Can Chicago Model Work in Baltimore? Part of Chicago’s success may be due to CeaseFire’s ability to work with gang leaders. Baltimore gangs are different. Chicago’s neighborhoods more densely populated than Baltimore. Could affect ability of outreach workers to find out about beefs. Chicago’s handgun ban and policing strategies makes guns less available to criminals than is the case in Baltimore. © 2006, Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.

OSS community events in McElderry Park, 2007 June July Aug. Sept. Oct. events Peace BBQ Beat the Heat Nat’l Night Out Midnight BBQ Peace Night Out Hoop it Up attendance 175 200 295 250 ? Shooting responses 2 66 attend 1

Outreach worker activities, McElderry Park, 2007 July Aug. Sept. Oct. client contacts / clients ? / 1 55 / 16 64 / 22 76 / 28 Referrals ? 4 12 19 mediations 1 7 6 3

Outreach worker mediations McElderry Park, Aug-Oct, ‘07 gang drugs retaliation intimate rel. personal altercation Could have led to shooting? very likely likely unlikely unknown 3 2 1 8 mediation type 1-on-1 small group diplomacy between groups 5 4 Total 9

Examples of Mediations Origin of Conflict: Incident of perceived disrespect started by comments of a client’s (member of group A) girlfriend and inflamed by a friend of the person “dissed,” who was in group B. Client informed outreach worker that member of group B had plans to kill him. Each group was prepared to hit the other hard. Outreach Worker Response: Outreach worker 1 contacted OW2&3 who started looking for members of group B. OW1 got clients and few members of his group to OSS offices, and OW2 got someone he knew to bring group B to the office for a mediation. 20 members of group B came (not member involved in conflict) to the office. OW Supervisor laid down rules for meeting and the purpose (peaceful resolution). Aggrieved person in group B showed up 10 minutes into meeting wanting to fight. OW2 intercepted him, calmed in down and brought him into the mediation. OW2 began “talking some law” – how petty conflict was, nothing deserving killing someone over. Both groups agreed it was petty and agreed on peace. Groups semi-hug, shakes except for primary in group B. OW3 talks to primary in group B and brings him back to office to talk with client. The 2 parties eventually worked out their dispute 1-on-1.

Examples of Mediations (cont.) OW1 then asked about other beefs between client and group B and learned of dispute with another member of group B. Primary of group B went to get the other group B member beefing with client, and brought him back to OSS office for mediation of the beef. All parties eventually resolved the conflict and hugged. But group B was concerned that not all of group A was present for the mediation, and wanted assurance that all Group A members would abide by peace agreement. OW made it clear that they only support full peace agreements and that client had to round up all of Group A members to return to OSS offices to explain peace agreement. Eventually nearly all members of both groups came together to hear and agree to peace agreement. Outreach workers stressed the importance of adhering to the agreement State that if someone breaks the peace “with some fake, rat, 50/50 stuff, then whatever happens, they deserve it.”

Examples of Mediations Gang Conflict #2 2 groups of young men were approaching each other, prepared to shoot it out for unknown reasons. Outreach worker set rules of confrontation, one on one with no weapons. Several fought but only briefly with no serious injuries. Theft of drugs Outreach worker observed conflict between drug dealer and a teen who he thought had stolen his drug stash. Armed dealer was bringing teen into a side alley when outreach worker intervened and got dealer to get more information before acting. Dealer’s girlfriend later said she had taken stash.

Shootings in target area and within 0.5 mi. of target

Conclusions CeaseFire not an easy model to implement. Groups best able to do the work, not best at proposals and meet city requirements. Despite the implementing agency having minimal footing in the target community, outreach workers are able to mediate many serious conflicts that could have otherwise led to shootings.