The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in homicides and shootings from 2019 to 2021, intensifying demands for local interventions to address community violence. In response, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) launched a Community Violence Reduction Initiative (CVRI) to allocate long-term resources and technical support to areas most affected by violence. This initiative, backed by state and federal funds, focuses on the sustainable funding of public health strategies grounded in evidence and coordinated efforts to curb violence.
In 2022, Social Contract began working with DHS to provide project management and implementation support for the CVRI, technical assistance and capacity building to grant awardees, and to design and facilitate the implementation of homicide and shooting reviews throughout Allegheny County.
The CVRI began in January 2023 and emphasizes building the capacity of grantees by receiving training and technical assistance from nationally recognized providers, like Cure Violence Global and Youth Guidance. Social Contract project managed the planning for CVRI awardees who are implementing the gun violence prevention and intervention programs and launching or scaling collective impact convenings in their communities. The initiative’s initial phase concentrated on adapting proven programs to local contexts, refining organizational structures, and training staff to maintain program fidelity. Additionally, DHS initiated homicide and shooting reviews in high-violence areas to examine local drivers of gun violence and gather actionable intelligence. This meeting engages cross-sector stakeholders and aims to ensure timely responses to incidents, enhance coordination among service providers, and use data to identify trends and inform policy for violence reduction.
The Giffords Law Center recently released a report on the role of counties in addressing community violence, highlighting Allegheny County, Harris County (TX), and Los Angeles County (CA).