Macon Magazine

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 | maconmagazine.com 59 "Increase public safety" is not as actionable a rallying cry as "prevent violence." (An approach Cure Violence seems to have also understood.) Preventing violence is something we can all do, whether that is as small as a conscious act to speak gently instead of screaming – or something as bold as the work of Cure Violence's Violence Interrupters, who deescalate emerging gunfights. As a rallying cry, it seems to have worked. More than 20 agencies and 30 nonprofits are now implementing proven and innovative solutions to reduce violent crime and strengthen the community under the MVP umbrella. MVP Coordinator Jeremy Grissom said, "The county-run program was launched to begin identifying the root causes of crime in Macon, figure out what each neighborhood needed to reach people, and what groups and resources were available to meet those needs." Services and funding In keeping with international, data-driven best practices that regard violent crime as a public health crisis, all MVP partners agreed that reducing violent crime in Macon-Bibb would require proven outreach efforts, prevention programs, mental health services, job programs, youth mentorship, recreation activities, education and literacy efforts, and much more beyond traditional county services, such as increased policing, according to the MVP Strategic Plan, posted on Macon-Bibb County's website. Funding was largely secured through the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion national economic stimulus bill (which may be personally familiar to readers who received direct COVID-19 relief checks, unemployment benefits, or any other outcomes of the wide-reaching act of Congress). Additional funding has been sourced from the Macon-Bibb County's General Fund. MVP funding is distributed to nonprofits such as Cure Violence through sub-awarded grants managed by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. Par tnerships and results The early results are promising. In an email to Macon Magazine, Macon-Bibb County's chief communications officer, Chris Floore, explained that MVP – like their partner Cure Violence Macon – ultimately measures progress through a decrease in the number of homicides and other violent crimes. MVP monitors data provided by the Sheriff's Office weekly and runs quarterly and annual comparisons. In MVP's first year, there were 56 homicides; in its second, 35. The summer months, notorious for spikes in homicides, saw a 70% decrease year-to-year. Yet other measures of success are important to MVP. Floore cited results from MVP's review of data provided by grant recipients a er the program's first year. MVP funds were allocated to nonprofits including those that work with youth in foster care, families in need of literacy support, and other at-risk youth. While the connections to preventing violence may seem unclear to those not familiar with the web of indicators that may place individuals at risk of a crisis that leads to violent crime, prevention is about stopping risk at the source – and providing services that will make the need for future services less likely. Let this be clear: a risk indicator does not indicate that an individual is dangerous. It means that their outcomes can be most improved by support. Floore recounted that one MVP grant recipient, Central Georgia CASA, was recently recognized for the largest increase in number of children in foster care served (21%) and for being in the top five in increase for volunteerism (15%) for all regional organizations, and they achieved a decade-high of serving over 60% of children in foster care in their service area. Lead With Literacy engaged three dozen families in learning to strengthen their ties through literacy. Chess and Community showed students the transformative power of thinking through problems with a positive mindset. Heart & Soul offered free camps to 100-plus children, offering care on non-school days and joyful exposure to the arts. The work is ongoing; in June 2023, $860,500 in grants were newly awarded to 31 local agencies, adding to the number of community partners able to share success stories like these. For Cure Violence, access to MVP funding has been key in decreasing reported gun violence by 64% in Pleasant Hill. While he didn't specify Cure Violence's impact, Grissom of MVP acknowledged that there's definitely a focus on improving all of Pleasant Hill along with a multitude of other communities. "The need to reduce violent crime in our community doesn't stop with one neighborhood. We are working with groups all over the county because what happens in Pleasant Hill impacts people off Houston Avenue, Forest Hill Road, Hartley Bridge Road, Downtown, etc.," Grissom said in an email response. "We strongly urge any person or family that needs support or assistance to seek out one of the many groups we are funding." Working for the future Results like these encourage MVP's stakeholders and staff. Weekly, quarterly, and annual data and feedback allow them to rigorously evaluate and modify the program for greater effectiveness. Yet, reaching annual benchmarks is not the central goal of the program. It's a long haul, and they don't expect to see all the fruits of their labor. Changing people's hearts and minds to live peacefully can't happen when they are in crisis, as Courtney Ates and the other Cure Violence team members noted. As many readers may know, a crisis can come from any direction. But a person is always in crisis if a basic need can't be met, such as shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, or education. That's why violence prevention requires a public health approach such as that of Cure Violence and MVP at large. Public health and violent crime don't have overnight solutions. But they do have proven solutions. MVP and its partners are implementing a dense network of modern interventions that address the problem in all its complexity. While improvements may seem marginal in the day-to-day, they are crucial. They are interconnected and compound like interest. When Macon's children and grandchildren see the city's safety record decades in retrospect, the fingerprints of all those working with MVP will be on the framework that held back a dangerous tide. Visit maconviolenceprevention.org/strategic-plan and facebook.com/cureviolencemacon to learn more. "The ne e d to re duce violent crime in our community do esn't stop with one neighb orho o d."

• Cover