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Problem Statement
<br />The United States is fraught with gun violence, and traditional solutions are not working. Although the
<br />total correctional population in the U.S. increased by more than 270% from 1980 to 2014, the rate of
<br />firearm victimization has not changed significantly in this same time period.1 Young black and Hispanic
<br />men are the most likely to be incarcerated and the most likely to be victimized by gun crimes.2 South
<br />Bend, Indiana is an example of this trend. In 2014 the gun homicide rate in South Bend was 10.8 per
<br />100,000 people. This is well above even the national average of 3.43 gun homicides per 100,000.3
<br />In 2014 the city of South Bend started anew approach to address gun violence —the South Bend Group
<br />Violence Initiative (SBGVI). This strategy, pioneered by the National Network for Safe Communities
<br />(NNSC), focuses on individuals and groups that are at high -risk for committing and being victims of
<br />violent gun crime. Through a coalition of community members, law enforcement and social service
<br />providers, SBGVI engages these high -risk individuals. At regular "call -ins with street group leaders, the
<br />coalition clearly communicates that there will be moral and law enforcement consequences if anyone in
<br />the groups represented commits a gun crime. At the same time, they offer services to those who want
<br />assistance. This double -pronged model aims to foster "internal social pressure" in street groups by
<br />stressing that all members will be accountable for the violence of one member, while at the same time
<br />providing an "honorable exit" from committing acts of violence through psychological assistance,
<br />vocational training and other services!
<br />In South Bend, the Police Department, and specifically the Violent Crime Impact Unit (VCIU) has
<br />implemented the law enforcement side of SBGVI and Goodwill Services has spearheaded the social
<br />services aspect of the program. In its first two years, the program has been successful in decreasing the
<br />percentage of group member involved (GMI) related shootings as compared to the total number of
<br />shootings --in 2013, 66 percent of shootings in South Bend were group or gang related, while only 58
<br />percent were in 2015.
<br />Although the program has been successful in decreasing group and gang based violence, South Bend still
<br />has the opportunity to further lower gang and groups based gun violence by providing extra support to
<br />victims of violent crime and their communities through a Violent Cringe Impact Outreach Unit (VCIOU).
<br />The VCIOU would interrupt fights before they lead to shootings, ,de-escalate situations after a group
<br />based -shooting to avoid retaliatory violence, and work to create a culture of non-violent dispute resolution
<br />in communities.
<br />This focus on outreach to victims of violent crime and their communities is key for reducing violence.
<br />Violence is caused by personal, relational, community and societal factors.' Outreach to victims of violent
<br />crime and their communities addresses at least three of these causal categories. At the individual level, a
<br />history of experiencing or witnessing violent behavior leads to a higher likelihood of committing violence.
<br />By providing direct services to victims of violent crime, an outreach unit may be able to decrease the
<br />1 Bureau of Justice Statistics, in Office of Justice Programs [database online]. Washington, D.C., 2016 [cited April 112016]. Available
<br />from htto:/I%vtvv.bis.gov/index.cfm?ty=kfdetail&iid=487.;Truman, Jennifer L., and Lynn Langton, 2015. Criminal victimization; 2014.
<br />Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, NCJ 248973, http-//w%vw.bis.Mv/contenttgub/pdf/cvl4.pdf.
<br />2 Prisoners in 2014.2015. Washington, D.C.; Bureau. of Justice Statistics, NCJ 248955,
<br />http:/I%vww.bis.gov/content/oub/ydf/nl4SummarY.liif.;Truman, Jennifer L., and Lynn Langton. 2015. Criminal Victimization: 2014.
<br />Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, NO 248973, hyp:/hvww.bis.eov/content/puwdf/evl4.pdf.
<br />3 .Injury Mortality Reports 1999 and Onwards (USA). 2015. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
<br />http://www.cdo.gov/injury/Wisqars/fataLinjuryjcports.litmi
<br />4 Group Violence Intervention. in National Network for Safe Communities [database online]. [cited April 1120161. Available from
<br />httos://nnscommunitimorg our-Avork/strate&y/group-violence-kiterventiog.
<br />5 Krug, Etienae G., fames A. Mercy, Linda 1. Dahlberg, and Anthony B. Zwl. 2002. The World Report on Violence and Health. The Lancet
<br />MO (9339) (October 2002): 1083-8.
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