Muhammad discusses how a program called CeaseFire cut Oakland's homicide rate in half. Too often, “violence prevention” resources go to programs for middle schoolers, or to help kids read, or other worthy efforts that have no bearing on the short-term goal of actually stopping (primarily) young men of color from shooting each other.

 

Muhammad is executive director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform through which he provides leadership and technical assistance to several U.S. cities on gun violence reduction strategies and positive client program development for police departments, municipalities and community-based organizations. He also works on national justice reform efforts including EXiT, in collaboration with Columbia University Justice Lab and more than 80 current and former probation and parole chiefs, to reform the system and improve the outcomes of system-involved individuals.

GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION IN INDIANAPOLIS

There were 229 criminal gun homicides in Indianapolis in 2021. There were 20 “other than gun” homicides. Eighty-three of those killed were under the age of 25. In addition, there were over 700 non-fatal shootings. The Indianapolis Star maintains a database of the 2021 criminal homicides here.

2021 Orange Ribbon Memorial Service on Thursday, February 17, 8-9pm via zoom. Register at stlukesumc.com/events.

Congregations United to Reduce Violence (CURV) grew out of a sub-committee of St. Luke’s Social Action Committee. Their goal is to spread the word about the city’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, encourage congregations to support the plan, encourage coalition building and support research about the plan’s success.

Their Facebook page is facebook.com/CURVindy.