OVERVIEW
Communities impacted by high crime rates, especially gun violence, may have mistrust with law enforcement because of the generational effects of policing in those communities. Incorporating the tenets of Procedural Justice into gun violence and focused intervention strategies can assist in reducing gun violence, while building trust in communities.
Gun violence intervention strategies focus on those most at risk from or participating in gun violence. Strategies are data driven, intel driven, and designed to build trust. Community partners and gun violence reduction advocates work with law enforcement in reducing gun violence through a joint partnership. By focusing on enforcement strategies, analysis of data collection, and trust building efforts as a part of focused intervention, we can assist agencies in their efforts to reduce gun violence.
We work with law enforcement partnerships to assist in creating strategies aimed at reducing gun violence through training, trust building, and community partnerships.
DOJ RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME 2021
I. Build trust and earn legitimacy. Meaningful law enforcement engagement with, and accountability to, the community are essential underpinnings of any effective strategy to address violent crime, as well as important ends in themselves. Accordingly, building trust and earning legitimacy within our communities is the foundation on which the strategy is built.
II. Invest in prevention and intervention programs. Violent crime is not a problem that can be solved by law enforcement alone. Accordingly, the Department must invest in community based violence prevention and intervention programs that work to keep violence from happening before it occurs.
III. Target enforcement efforts and priorities. The Department is most effective when it focuses its limited enforcement resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime.
IV. Measure results. Because the fundamental goal of this work is to reduce the level of violence in our communities, not to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves—we must measure the results of our efforts on these grounds.