Understanding what work is being done, anything that lets researchers “pull back the curtain,” is important, said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
Tag: cure violence
NY1— Shootings Rise in Bronx, Fall in Brooklyn, as Anti-gun Efforts Start
As the city added more Cure Violence programs in pre-pandemic years, gun violence and deaths declined, said Sheyla Delgado, the deputy director of analytics at John Jay’s Research and Evaluation Center. “Can we say that is solely due to the appearance of these programs? Absolutely not,” Delgado said. “But they’re certainly a factor to consider.”
Time Magazine — A New Study Casts Doubt on One of the Country’s Most Popular Violence Prevention Approaches
A number of cities have implemented or adapted Cure Violence’s strategies to address gun violence in their communities. But to what end? ... A 2020 report by John Jay College on alternatives to policing notes that the work of outreach workers and violence interrupters is “promising but mixed.”
New York Magazine — The Risks of Overselling Violence Interruption
The key, we heard over and over again, is to have cops work in tandem with community-based “violence interrupters” — credible messengers from troubled communities who have the savvy and connections to quietly intervene at critical moments and persuade gang members, dope dealers, and other weapon-carriers not to resort to violence.
The City — Adams Anti-Gun Blueprint Puts ‘Cure Violence’ Groups Center Stage
Jeffrey Butts, who runs the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College, says setting up cure violence programs in a way that generates evidence of what methods work to reduce shootings will be essential going forward...
Toledo Blade — Violence Interrupters: How to Measure Success in Toledo and Beyond
“They should not operate in hostility to law enforcement…but they need to operate almost autonomously,” said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. “If the neighborhood starts to think that these programs are in cahoots with law enforcement, the young people in the neighborhood will stop talking to the workers.”
Louisville Courier Journal — Louisville is Spending Millions to Stop Gun Violence Before it Starts. Here’s How it Works.
"The movement needs support with evidence and research, not just clever arguments,” Butts said.
Kansas City Star — What is Cure Violence and How Effective has it Been at Reducing Gun Violence?
Officials in Kansas City ask for evidence of effectiveness for the Cure Violence approach. A 2017 review of two sites in New York City by John Jay College of Criminal Justice at The City University of New York found that gun violence rates decreased in the two catchment areas reviewed — gun injuries dropping about 50% in one neighborhood after the Cure Violence program was implemented.
The Trace — There Are Only Two City-Funded Violence Prevention Sites Tackling Surging Violence in Upper Manhattan
Studies conducted of two CMS sites by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Research and Evaluation Center found that, in addition to a decline in shootings over two years, trust in law enforcement increased, and fewer people turned to violence. "Over time, attitudes did change, especially in the Cure Violence neighborhoods,” said Sheyla Delgado, a researcher at John Jay who has coauthored several CMS studies.
WBAL News Radio Baltimore
Jeffrey Butts joined Yuripzy Morgan on WBAL News Radio in Baltimore, where City officials are launching new efforts to reduce community violence.
WYPR Midday — Do Violence Interruption Programs Work? Some Critical Perspectives
Jeffrey Butts joins a discussion about the effectiveness of violence interruption programs in Baltimore and elsewhere.
City Watch. WBAI Pacifica Radio in New York City
On the September 19, 2021 episode of City Watch on WBAI 99.5 FM, Host Jeff Simmons focused on gun violence prevention with guests: Erica Ford, Founder and CEO of Life Camp Inc., New York City Councilmember Adrienne Adams, and Dr. Jeffrey Butts, Research Professor and Director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Minneapolis Star Tribune — Groups Arise, Spurred by Minneapolis Gun Violence, to Enact Early Interventions
Jeffrey Butts said that while he is encouraged by1 the Biden administration's public commitment to gun violence research, long hobbled by years of underfunding at the federal level, more attention needs to be paid to community-based programs that don't rely on police intervention.
Philadelphia Tribune — Gun Violence is a Disease that Needs a Vaccine
New York City’s Cure Violence programs found shootings and gun injuries dropped in two neighborhoods where such programs were in place between 2013 and 2017, according to an evaluation led by Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
NBC News — Activist Group Works to Combat Gun Violence in NYC
Jeffrey Butts was interviewed by NBC News for a story about community-based violence prevention efforts in New York City.
Gothamist — NY Lawmakers Seek to Create a “Predictable Funding Stream” for Anti-Violence Programs
Cure Violence programs in New York City have become a staple during the de Blasio administration over the years, receiving $34 million in allocations while expanding into 17 precincts in high-crime neighborhoods. A study by John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2020 found that the drop in shootings over the years coincided with increased use of Cure Violence programs across the city.
The City — Five Days Without Cops: Could Brooklyn Policing Experiment be a ‘Model for the Future’?
A Brooklyn community’s experiment to deal with a longstanding crime hotspot in a busy commercial corridor took a new approach last month: They pulled back on policing. ... Jeffrey Butts, who has done extensive research on Cure-Violence initiatives, also questioned how far the experiment could go.
Fox News — Alternative Policing: NYC Mayor De Blasio Funding “Violence Interrupters”
Center director, Jeffrey Butts, was interviewed for this story on Fox News, July 30, 2020.
City Lab — As Murders Rise, New York City Turns to a Police Alternative
[Cure Violence workers] “try to stop the cycle of retaliation, and because they are not seen as an extension of law enforcement, the people most likely to be walking around with handguns in their pocket will talk to them and will allow them to settle a dispute before it turns violent,” said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
alternet — What Can Safety Without Police Look Like?
Sheyla Delgado, deputy director for analytics at John Jay College and a researcher for the Cure Violence evaluation, says the comparisons offer promising evidence in favor of the program’s public health approach to violence reduction. She says what seems to make Cure Violence different from comparable programs that work to reduce violence is that it humanizes all of its participants.
WNYC — The ‘Cure Violence’ Model of Public Safety
Jeffrey Butts, Shadoe Tarver, and Jessica Mofield explain how many communities in New York City are working with Cure Violence groups to reduce shootings.
CBS2 Meets Members Of Man Up! Inc., 1 Of More Than 20 Groups That Are Out To Cure Violence In NYC
CBS2 in New York City profiles the Cure Violence programs operating throughout the city, including the fact that a 2017 JohnJayREC study found the program can work.
Vox — 4 Ideas to Replace Traditional Police Officers
Cure Violence may be one of the few models that has been shown to successfully make highly violent communities a lot less violent without using the tools of arrest, force, and incarceration.
NY Fox 5 — New York Expands Cure Violence
On June 10, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the $10M expansion of Cure Violence programs in police precincts in New York City with the highest amounts of gun violence.
USA Today– Congress Approved $25M in Funding for Gun Safety Research. Now What?
An ongoing evaluation by John Jay College of Criminal Justice found one neighborhood experienced a 63% drop in monthly shooting victims from 2009 to 2016, based on New York Police Department data. New York spends approximately $40 million a year on Cure Violence programs. Slutkin estimates that big cities require about $15 million to $30 million to run an effective program, and small cities need $5 million to $10 million.