FRIENDS OF  POLICE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION CEASEFIRE

Purpose

Ceasefire,  a “Gun Violence Reduction Initiative” in Avondale, has just celebrated its first year, which included significant outcomes within the community.  It is an important part of Cincinnati’s effort to improve police and community relations, and effectively reduce violent crime.  

It had been noted that higher gun violence experienced by younger victims is often the result of a host of factors, including being engaged in high-risk activities (e.g. illegal gun possession, carrying, and use, engagement in illegal drug markets, etc.), being present in high-incident locations, or affiliating with high-risk offenders (e.g. gang members) – all of which frequently occur as a part of “street activities.”  In addition, the youthful individuals who disproportionately engage in this behavior are most often not positively bonded to family, school, church, employment or other community organizations – institutions which function as protective factors against involvement in crime, drug abuse, and violence.

In Avondale Ceasefire uses these methods to: 

• Identify “hot spot” locations, “hot” times, repeat offenders, and repeat victims, in order to define target location/times and the target population;
   

• Perform analysis of above data to determine what contributes to the problem (e.g. community norms favorable to gun possession and use, concentrated gun possession/trafficking, neighborhood disputes, drug markets, etc.)
   

• Based upon analysis, design intervention (response) strategies;
   

• Evaluate interventions. 

Overall, there has been a 48.5% reduction in serious gun crime and a 41% reduction in serious gun crime with injury in the past nine months (as of 6/30/07). 

Background

Since the inception of CeaseFire Cincinnati, First Unitarian Church has been actively involved in the program from canvassing the neighborhoods to walking at rallies.  Due to these efforts, our church recently received the “Friends of the Collaborative Award” at the Annual CPOP Awards Banquet.  

Current Activities

Sometime in early 2008, CeaseFire will expand its coverage to include not only Avondale and North Avondale but also the Walnut Hills area.  The roll out date has not been announced at this point.  First Unitarian Church will continue to participate in this successful program.

Contact 

Lydia McMillan       (513)469-6141        lbgmcm2@fuse.net