Mayor Dobies Proposes New Programming, Ordinances To Combat Neighborhood Gun Violence Epidemic
JACKSON, MI — Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies today announced a package of proposals aimed at curbing gun violence ahead of the October 15th City Council meeting. The package includes an ordinance requiring certain businesses to install exterior cameras to enhance investigations, an ordinance to curb the illegal transport of weapons in vehicles, resolutions to discourage domestic violence and cyberbullying, a training program to provide access to opportunity in underserved communities, and a proposal to fund community-based violence intervention programming to deter ask-risk individuals from engaging in violent activity.
Community-based violence intervention programs apply a localized approach to gun violence prevention that are well-suited to address gun violence in the hardest hit neighborhoods. These programs identify individuals who are at the highest risk of shooting or being shot, and work to reduce violence through targeted interventions.
“People are understandably frustrated and scared with the recent gun violence in our city. That’s why we are focused on proposing solutions,” said Mayor DOBIES, who was witness to a shooting Sunday night on 2nd Street. “These strategies are the start of a comprehensive approach to treat gun violence as a curable public health crisis. They encourage city officials, neighborhood leaders, the business community and organized labor to collaborate and bring resources to the table.”
The intervention program is modeled on Cure Violence, a program that operates in more than 50 sites in 25 cities. It starts with a premise that violence is contagious and employs a public health approach to fight the disease of violence. The hallmark of the program are street outreach workers, who actively work to mediate conflicts and prevent retaliatory violence between those who are at-risk to commit or become the victims of gun violence. Street outreach workers are often former members of street groups, allowing them to speak with credibility and understanding.
Dobies said the proposed $100,000 allocated to the program would go towards training, staffing, educational materials, and five or more street outreach workers to help operate the program in targeted areas of the city.
In the South Bronx, Cure Violence programming resulted in a 63% reduction in shootings and a 37% reduction in gun injuries. The program saw a 41% to 73% reduction in shootings in seven neighborhoods in Chicago, and a 100% reduction in retaliation homicides in 5 of 8 neighborhoods.
Jackson has more reported acts of violence, gun or otherwise, than any other Michigan city with a similar population of around 32,000, according to 2017 FBI crime statistics, the most recent available. Jackson police responded to 343 reports of gun violence in 2016, followed by 320 reports in 2017 and 394 in 2018. Confirmed reports of shootings, or instances where evidence of an actual shooting occurred, increased from 70 in 2016 to 119 in 2018.
In his 2019 State of the City address, Mayor Dobies organized a Gun Violence Task Force to study potential policies and programs to address gun violence — labeled a public health crisis by the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association. Dobies said much of this package evolved from those conversations earlier this year, and he’s also received input from a number of different community leaders, particularly around intervention programs.
“Moms Demand Action started this year in Jackson as a response to the gun violence we see in our community and across the country. We believe we can do something about it when we work together as a community,” said Jennifer GALLAGHER, the Chair of the Jackson chapter of Moms Demand Action that now hosts monthly meetings. “We support the efforts of Mayor Dobies and Councilwoman Sullivan to work on this package and look forward to future work together to reduce gun violence.”
In addition to the Moms Demand Action chapter in Jackson other groups like Save Our Youth are organizing anti-violence activities. The Flat Iron Neighborhood recently held a “Neighbors For Peace” walk along 1st Street — and event driven by neighborhood leaders and victims of recent shootings.
Councilwoman Sullivan, who was at the Flat Iron march, is working with the Michigan Workforce Development Institute on developing a pre-apprenticeship training program similar to Detroit’s Access For All to expand job opportunities as a way to reduce community violence.
“Community-based intervention to gun violence is an important piece of what it will take to save lives but in order to bring systemic change we must also bring real opportunities for accessible living wage employment to the table,’ said Councilwoman Colleen SULLIVAN.
Dobies said the the package of proposals are scheduled to be introduced for consideration at the October 15th City Council meeting.
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