Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction

Messenger: Crime fighters in cities need data. What happens when Trump erases it? A website operated by the Justice Department tracks crime reduction strategies — but it isn't being maintained.

In the St. Louis region, SaveLivesNow is using science to guide its crime strategy with promising initial signs. If it succeeds, people will need to know about it.
www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...

Messenger: Crime fighters in cities need data. What happens when Trump erases it? A website operated by the Justice Department tracks crime reduction strategies — but it isn't being maintained.

In this article, @tonymess.bsky.social connects evidence and crime-fighting, both in St. Louis and beyond. Pleased to have been a part of it and glad to see the @vrcinfo.bsky.social's work mentioned. www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...

Don’t go backward on how we fight violent crime. We know what works • Iowa Capital Dispatch "Fear, denial, and division lead us to cast blame and grasp for outdated solutions" to violent crime and abandon strategies that work.

Pleased to see the lessons from Bleeding Out are still getting out there. Focus. Balance. Fairness. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/19/d...

Last week, VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social gave the keynote at Sacramento Police Department's Violent Crime Summit. Thank you to Dr. Nicole Clavo-Barclay and Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester for the opportunity to discuss the work of the VRC!

If you are reading the International Association of Chiefs of Police 'Police Chief' magazine for August over the weekend, make sure to read about a recent evaluation of the Dallas Police Depar... If you are reading the International Association of Chiefs of Police 'Police Chief' magazine for August over the weekend, make sure to read about a recent evaluation of the Dallas Police Department cr...

@reducingcrime.com highlights @dallaspd.bsky.social data-driven crime plan. Violent crime dropped 19%, 30% in key areas.
How?
• Hotspot policing
•Place-based Network investigations
• Focused deterrence on high-risk individuals
Worth a closer look: www.linkedin.com/posts/reduci...
#CrimeReduction

Today is the last day to apply for best consideration for our Deputy Director role! Apply now and make an impact in violence reduction!
umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMCP/job/Uni...

🚨 There's still time to apply! 🚨

The VRC is looking for an experienced Deputy Director to lead research, policy guidance, as well as day-to-day management and mid- and long-term planning.

Apply today for best consideration.

tinyurl.com/applyvrc

Crime Festers in Republican States While Their Troops Patrol Washington

As @nytimes.com highlights, VRC-partner cities, City of Knoxville, @boston.gov, and @cityofstl.bsky.social are seeing violent crime drop faster than the national avg. Memphis is on track to reach this level. Violence reduction should be evidence-based, not partisan.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/u...

Data is now available through August for 29 of the 30 cities that had the most murders in 2024 (data through July for Indianapolis). Murder is down more than 21 percent in that sample.

Apply to be our next Deputy Director!

This is a key role in shaping research, guiding policy, and driving strategic planning. Apply by September 12th for the best consideration.

tinyurl.com/applyvrc

Trump Crime Strategy May Work for Now, but Not for Long, Experts Say

VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social shared with @nytimes.com temporary crime surges may reduce violence briefly but doesn’t address the underlying issue. Lasting change comes from sustained investment in strategies that are focused, balanced, and fair.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/u...

Join Our Team!

The VRC is seeking an experienced Deputy Director to advance our mission to save lives by stopping violence, using science.

Apply by 9/12 for best consideration!

tinyurl.com/applyvrc

The VRC is hiring! This is an important leadership position in a growing and dynamic organization that is saving lives. Please consider applying and joining us!

🚨 We're Hiring! 🚨

The VRC is seeking an experienced and energetic Deputy Director to help develop and grow our young organization by developing and executing policies to advance the VRC's mission to save lives.

umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMCP/job/Uni...

Apply by 9/12 for best consideration!

Public Health Approaches to Reducing Community Gun Violence Abstract. Successful public health efforts are data-driven, focused on unhealthy or unsafe environments as well as risky behaviors, and often intentional about reforming systems that are unjust and ha...

New @jhucgvs.bsky.social survey: 72% of Americans support funding Community Violence Intervention programs. Investing in the people and places most at risk can save lives and deliver major returns.
Survey: publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-g...
doi.org/10.1162/daed...

Crime Festers in Republican States While Their Troops Patrol Washington

Despite this article’s aggressive title, it’s important to note that good crime policy depends on cooperation and collaboration. Pleased to see the nonpartisan work of the @vrcinfo.bsky.social highlighted as an example. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/u...

Roca’s ‘relentlessness’ is changing the lives of Baltimore’s young men Baltimore City is on track to see another year of historic declines in homicides. Here’s one organization contributing to that work.

This powerful piece highlights ROCA Inc's early work and how they are reaching young men in Baltimore at the highest risk of gun violence. A must-read on what real change looks like.
www.thebanner.com/community/lo...

It’s not too late to apply! @cityofstl.bsky.social is hiring a Commissioner of Violence Prevention. This important leadership role guides strategies, partnerships, and solutions to reduce violence and build safer neighborhoods.
Closes August 29, 2025
Apply now: careers.stlouis-mo.gov/careersectio...

Is GVRS right for your jurisdiction? Study the strategy and see, and then engage a reputable partner if you want to go further. This strategy is complex, don't try it on your own with no outside expertise.

No program is a panacea and GVRS doesn't always work, but the VRC has recommended the strategy to 3 of its 4 partner jurisdictions, all of which have implemented and are seeing reductions in homicides and nonfatal shootings.

The GVRS, also known as the Group Violence Intervention (GVI), is a focused deterrence strategy. These initiatives have a strong track record of success, more so than almost any other anti-violence program. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

In Baltimore, violent crime is dropping precipitously, in large part because of its Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS). This article by program architects Jeremy Biddle and Ben Struhl does a great job of explaining how it works. www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/wha...

Community violence is preventable, but only if we center trust, equity, and care.
Co-authored by @buggs44.bsky.social and colleagues, LISC's white paper explores how cities can scale proven, community-led solutions to stop violence before it starts.
Read here: www.lisc.org/media/filer_...

D.C.'s crime numbers are all the buzz. But how do we interpret them accurately? A range of crime data has been going around to make the argument that Washington, D.C., is — or isn't — safe. We talk to crime experts to make sense of it all.

Last week Adam Gelb and I spoke to @npr.org about how best to understand the crime situation in Washington, DC. Take a look. www.npr.org/2025/08/19/n...

Saving Lives: Ten Essential Actions Cities Can Take to Reduce Violence Now - Council on Criminal Justice Amid a rise in homicide, diverse CCJ panel urges leaders to reject “us vs. them” politics and collaborate on ten essential steps to reduce violence now.

Looking for strategies to reduce community gun violence?
The Council on Criminal Justice offers 10 essential actions for city leaders. Created by experts in law enforcement, public health, and communities, these digestible tools support violence prevention nationwide.
counciloncj.org/10-essential...

@boston.gov reported 17 homicides in the first half of 2025—up 143% from 7 in the same period last year. The city ended 2024 with 24, the lowest in nearly 70 years. Experts like @thomasabt.bsky.social note that small increases can seem large after major progress.
Link: www.axios.com/local/boston...

We Think We Figured Out What Trump’s D.C. Endgame Is According to Donald Trump, Washington, D.C., is a hellscape. It’s ridden with crime driven by “bloodthirsty criminals” and “roving mobs of wild youth.”

Here's a conversation I had with @shirinali.bsky.social from
@slate.com concerning crime, violence, politics, and our nation's capital. Give it a read. slate.com/news-and-pol...

Banks’ Efforts to Curb Money Laundering Fail Abysmally, Says UMD… Attempts to Intercept Crime Money Often Harm Innocent Accountholders, Scholar Says in Landmark Study

A new study co-led by #UMDCriminology Professor Peter Reuter reveals a system that quietly punishes innocent people while recovering only a small fraction of illicit funds.
The consequences? Lost access. Frozen accounts. Lives disrupted.
Read today: today.umd.edu/banks-effort...
#UMDResearch

1/ The FBI's 2024 crime numbers are out. Violent crime overall decreased 4.5% compared to 2023, murder and declined 14.9%. Rapes, aggravated assault, and robberies dropped 5.2%, 3.0%, and 8.9% respectively. Property crime decreased 8.1%.

Opinion | The good news about murder Homicides are way down. What happened, what we can learn and how progressives became crime fighters.

Pleased to see this from @ejdionne.bsky.social highlighting what's gone right with crime and violence over the past few years. As some might not know, violent crime nationally is way down from its recent peak in 2021, and property crime is also down. Read on. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...