The Coalition to Advance Public Safety (CAPS), led by four national Black-led technical assistance providers, hosted a press conference announcing a $500,000 investment in Atlanta-based Community Violence Intervention (CVI) organizations.
This funding will strengthen local efforts to reduce community violence by 15% and expand support for those most impacted. CAPS has been on the front lines of supporting cities in reducing community violence across the U.S.
CAPS invested the money to support local organizations Circle of Safety, H.O.P.E. Hustlers, Wii Care, Girassol Wellness, and Atlanta Victim Assistance to continue their work and foster a thriving CVI ecosystem.
They were also joined by leaders from the greater Atlanta community to share details of this funding to support his work to save lives and heal communities.
CVI Ecosystem partners, Anthony Smith of Cities United, Aqeela Sherrills of Community-Based Public Safety Collective (CBPS), Fatimah Loren of the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI), and David Muhammad of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR), who leads CAPS, said gun violence continues to impact the country, especially for Black and Brown communities.
“More than ever, cities are turning to CVI, evidence-backed, proven strategies embraced by bipartisan leadership at every level of government, to end this public health crisis,” Smith said.
“Since the height of the COVID pandemic, we have seen a significant decrease in gun homicides across the country. CAPS is building on that momentum to support CVI organizations as they develop the infrastructure, processes, and strategies needed to deliver high-quality programs to those most impacted by violence,” Loren said.
Erica Atwood, deputy of engagement at Cities United, said since the end of the pandemic, they have seen a national decrease in gun violence, however, the work is far from being done.
“Although we have seen a national decrease, we can’t afford to take our foots off the pedal,” she said.
Also, Smith said they know true public safety is built from the ground up, driven by the people, and organizations working every day to disrupt the cycles of violence and create real opportunities for healing and transformation.
“This investment in Atlanta is about more than funding, it’s about strengthening the infrastructure, capacity, and sustainability of the community-based organizations that are leading this work,” Smith said. “At Cities United, we believe every jurisdiction deserves a comprehensive, community-driven safety ecosystem ensuring young Black men and boys, their families, and communities can be safe, healthy, and hopeful.”
Marcus Walker, director of the Mayor’s office of Violence Reduction (MOVR), says collaboration is the cornerstone of societal change.
“Investing in CVI fuels growth, assists in capacity building, and provides training and technical assistance to organizations entrenched in the work,” he said. “The CAPS initiative will ensure that together as a city, we can create greater impact and achieve greater shared success to reduce violence and advance public safety.”
Ricky ‘Dip’ Usher, executive director of Wii Care Atlanta, said funding from CAPS is a game-changer for grassroots organizations like Wii Care.
“It provides us with the critical resources needed to expand our reach, strengthen our programming, and sustain our mission of reducing violence and uplifting under-resourced communities,” Usher said.
With this support, he says, they can scale their efforts, engage more high-risk individuals, and drive lasting change in Atlanta’s neighborhoods.
“This investment is not just in our organization, it’s in the future of our city and the lives of those who need it the most,” he said.
Additionally, cities receive the following support from CAPS to expand and strengthen their programs:
· Assessment: CAPs begin their partnerships by reviewing a city’s existing CVI ecosystem, including its government investments, provider infrastructure, and cost of gun violence, to identify existing strengths, diagnose gaps, and inform their city-specific work plan.
· Technical Assistance: This is to support the implementation of a range of CVI strategies. CAPS provides training, technical assistance, and coaching to government agencies and direct service providers, including on data use, staff management, administrative functions, and program evaluation.
· Coordination: CAPS facilitates coordination and collaboration on the ground between providers, city government, and the national CVI field through the CVI Ecosystem, a robust online platform offering comprehensive data and analysis of CVI ecosystems in 50 U.S. cities with elevated homicide rates.
· Narrative Change: CAPS helps their partners share their stories and drive narrative change and thought leadership to make the case for additional public and private sector CVI investment in their cities.
· Grant Funding: CAPS provides direct grant funding of at least $500,000 per jurisdiction for community organizations to support the implementation of program strengthening and expansion.
For more information, visit https://www.capsinitiative.org.
