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Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap

Working Together to Build Safer Communities

Action 1. Set a clear goal: commit to saving lives by stopping violence.

Blue bullseye with yellow arrow in the center.

Homicides and other violent crimes devastate cities in both human and economic terms. Successful anti-violence efforts should begin with clear goals, with leaders setting ambitious but attainable targets, measured in concrete terms of reduced homicides and non-fatal shootings.

DOJ has training and technical assistance resources to help local jurisdictions set goals, perform analyses, and develop plans for reducing crime and violence. Flexible grant funding can support these activities as well. Helpful reports, publications, and other materials are also provided. Key resources are identified below, followed by additional resources. These same resources are also listed for Actions 2 and 3, since these three actions are related to one another.

Key Resources

Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative

The Community-Based Violence Intervention (CVI) and Prevention Initiative provides funding to support evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs. The CVIPI webpage provides access to a variety of resources for planning, implementing, supporting, and assessing community-based violence intervention and prevention efforts. CVIPI funding can support goal-setting, analysis, and planning activities.

Community Violence Intervention Implementation Checklist

Developed with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Community Violence Intervention Implementation Checklist captures background information about CVI efforts, CVI guiding principles, and details on the following specific steps to take when implementing CVI programs.

Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center

The BJA National Training and Technical Assistance Center connects justice agencies with national experts to help reduce violent and drug-related crime. A specific Violence Reduction Response Center connects localities with resources to help identify appropriate goals. Jurisdictions interested in implementing strategies outlined in the Roadmap may also contact NTTAC to request TTA from the Police Executive Research Forum. In collaboration with BJA and a cadre of subject matter experts, PERF will coordinate no-cost TTA services designed to enhance jurisdictions’ capacity to reduce community gun violence and promote community trust.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

Project Safe Neighborhoods is spearheaded by each U.S. Attorney’s Office, bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify their most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. The PSN website includes training resources for all localities working to reduce violence, including a gun violence resource hub. Jurisdictions can also use PSN funding for goal identification, community engagement, and evaluation. Localities should connect with their United States Attorney’s Office to better understand these resources.

National Public Safety Partnership

The National Public Safety Partnership is a network of communities who are committed to implementing evidence-informed approaches to reducing violence and enhancing public safety. It is a DOJ-wide program that connects communities with peers and experts to receive coordinated training and technical assistance. There are many resources available to all jurisdictions – including virtual training academies and published materials - through the Clearinghouse, including to help leaders in establishing goals and their own roles in reducing violence.

Additional Resources

Grant Funding

Training & Technical Assistance

Guides, Reports and Webinars

BJA Violent Crime Reduction Summit Resource Center

Resources from the BJA Violent Crime Reduction Summit designed to offer insights and tools to jurisdictions in addressing violent crime that impacts their communities.

Violent Crime Reduction Operations Guide (PDF, 5.2 MB)

This BJA-sponsored, practitioner-focused guide outlines actions and activities that have contributed to successful crime-fighting strategies throughout the country. This guide complements existing conversations and offers a unique “for the field, by the field” perspective that combines best practices and research to assist law enforcement executives in assessing capacity and strategic planning.

Bringing a Folding Chair: Planning for Community Violence Intervention and Prevention

During this webinar, a diverse group of multi-disciplinary leaders in the community-based violence intervention space speak about the importance of cross-sector collaborations between trusted partners.

Meaningful Strategic Planning that Produces Results

In this webinar experts in strategic planning share experiences on how to get started and how to navigate challenging strategic planning issues. The session also includes considerations for multi-disciplinary partner engagement, strategic plan elements, ways to measure impact, and DOJ training and technical assistance opportunities.

The Prosecutors' Guide for Reducing Violence and Building Safer Communities

Informed by a roundtable of experienced prosecutors from around the country, this guide provides a systematic way for prosecutors’ offices to evaluate their practices with respect to the key elements of a successful violent crime reduction strategy. This guide is intended to enable the executives responsible for operating a prosecutor’s office to identify policies and practices that can be readily implemented, as well as those that represent actionable goals to work toward. It suggests practices that are customizable and scalable, from foundational to enhanced, depending on an office’s available resources and experiences, as well as jurisdiction-specific needs and challenges.

Project Safe Neighborhoods Webinar on Building and Enhancing PSN Partnerships and Strategies

This recorded webinar reviews strategies PSN programs have used for building partnerships, including approaches to planning, communication, information sharing, accountability and sustainability.

PSN Blueprint for Success

This guide provides information for prosecutors, law enforcement, and community partners to develop and sustain effective responses to violent crime. The guide provides insights on identifying stakeholders, establishing metrics, and utilizing training and technical assistance resources.

Violent Crime Reduction Operations Guide

This guide, developed under the leadership of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, provides an action plan for police leaders on how to focus their leadership on community engagement, partnerships, accountability, resources and sustainability, training and tactics, analytics and intelligence, and technology, to comprehensively work to reduce violence.