Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative: Difference between revisions

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The '''Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative''' ('''BVRI''') was a program instituted in [[2015]] by [[Mayor of Birmingham|Mayor]] [[William Bell]] in [[2015]]. It was based on recommendations from the National Network of Safe Communities, that promoted directly working with individuals and families deemed to be at high risk of being affected by violence, and offering a broad range of supports to reduce factors that contribute to violence and to enhance relationships with public safety officials.
The '''Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative''' ('''BVRI''') was a multi-faceted anti-violence program carried out in [[Birmingham]] from [[November 15]], [[2014]] through [[November 14]], [[2016]]. It was premised on direct interaction with individuals and families deemed to be at "high risk" of being affected by violence by focusing the deterrent effect of law enforcement, and also offering a range of supports to reduce conditions that contribute to violence.


<!--The VRI, announced in Birmingham in June of 2015, is a joint effort by the Birmingham police, the Mayor's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office and other community leaders. -->
Local officials such as Mayor [[William Bell]], [[Birmingham Police Department|Birmingham Police]] chief [[A. C. Roper]], [[U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama|U.S. Attorney]] [[Joyce Vance]], [[Jefferson County District Attorney]] [[Brandon Falls]] and [[Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities]] (TASC) were already interested in the program when incoming [[Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham]] direct [[Chris Nanni]] began connecting them to potential sources of funding. The Community Foundation partnered with the [[Alabama Power Foundation]] to underwrite the first two years, with the idea that the city would budget for the program thereafter if it was successful.


The program received financial support from the [[Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham]] and the [[Alabama Power Foundation]]. It also relied on coordination with the [[Birmingham Police Department]], the [[Dannon Project]], [[Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities]], and the [[U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama|U.S. Attorney's office]].
The BVRI program was patterned after a "Group Violence Intervention" strategy based on academic research done at Harvard University under criminologist David Kennedy and promulgated through his National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC). Kennedy's research showed that a large share of violent crimes were committed by and against a relatively small segment of the population, which was also fairly closely-knit into harmful associations or "active groups". By the time it was adopted in Birmingham, the program had already demonstrated some success in Boston, Massachusetts (as "Operation Ceasefire") and in other cities. Local stakeholders attended a "Ceasefire University" training session led by Kennedy at John Jay College in New York on October 14-15, [[2014]].  


Psychologist and [[Miles College]] assistant professor of criminal justice [[Jarralynne Agee]] was appointed director of the BVRI and head of the '''Birmingham Office of Violence Reduction''' in [[2016]].  
Birmingham's BVRI committee was made up of Bell's chief of staff [[Chuck Faush]], [[Birmingham City Council]] member [[Steven Hoyt]], police chief Roper, deputy chief [[Henry Irby]], U.S. Attorney Vance, District Attorney Falls, [[Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles]] regional director [[Denise Skelton]], UAB TASC director [[Foster Cook]], Alabama Power Foundation director [[John Hudson]], and Nanni. Birmingham Police Captain [[Scott Praytor]] was assigned as dedicated day-to-day manager of BVRI operations. Psychologist and former [[Miles College]] assistant professor of criminal justice [[Jarralynne Agee]] was hired as the program's director and head of the '''Birmingham Office of Violence Reduction''' on [[March 9]], [[2016]]. They participated in weekly phone calls with Nanni and Meaghan McDonald of the NNSC.
 
The NNSC's technical assistance team then made a two-day visit to Birmingham on January 20-21, 2015 to analyze local "criminal violence dynamics". Their report from that analysis identified 28 active groups, members of which were involved, as victims or as suspects, in 64 of 174 homicides over a 3-year period. The group was unable to make an analysis of non-fatal shootings due to a lack of information about victims and suspects.
 
To implement the program, law enforcement brought members associated with those active groups into a staged "call-in" meeting with an array of local and federal officers to send a strong, coordinated message about the dire consequences of murder, not just on one victim or suspect, but on all of their associations. The desired result was for those groups to begin policing themselves to avoid attracting the extra attention.
 
In addition to "the stick", the program offered individuals a "carrot," pairing them with a case worker who can work with them to break out of the circumstances that lead them to commit crimes. This can include direct assistance with financial and food security, transportation assistance, and access to healthcare, including mental health and counseling.
 
William Bell announced the project in June 2015. Her work focused on the supportive elements of the program in coordination with community partners, including the [[Dannon Project]]. [[BGrace Media]] provided public relations services for the program. attempting to amplify what the designers dubbed, the "community moral voice."
 
By comparison, the law enforcement portion of the program received the bulk of the funding, as well as some pointed criticisms. A large-scale [[List of Birmingham Police Department operations#A. C. Roper (2007-2018)|police operation]] was conducted at two addresses associated with the "[[Magic City Mafia]]" street gang in [[Central Pratt]] on [[January 24]], [[2017]]. The show of force, which included an armored vehicle, was criticized by neighborhood president and [[Black Lives Matter]] activist [[Eric Hall]] as unnecessarily "terrorizing" the community.
 
At the conclusion of the two-year pilot implementation, a review of the successes and challenges of the Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative was conducted by the National Network for Safe Communities. Among the challenges identified were a shortage of resources for "intelligence gathering" about groups, and "irregular meetings and inconsistent participation by agency partners." The assessment recommended stronger local management and engagement with community partners
 
By the time the two years of initial funding ran out, Bell has been succeeded as Mayor by [[Randall Woodfin]], who instituted a new slate of violence reduction initiatives under the [[Birmingham Office of Peace & Policy]] and the banner of [[Common Ground]].


==References==
==References==
* Patterson, Nick (December 17, 2015) "Murder in the Magic City: The Crime Fighters." {{Weld}}
* Johnson, Roy S. (July 25, 2016) "[https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2016/07/meet_the_woman_charged_with_le.html Meet the woman charged with leading Birmingham's effort to stem violence in our neighborhoods]." {{BN}}
* Johnson, Roy S. (July 25, 2016) "[https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2016/07/meet_the_woman_charged_with_le.html Meet the woman charged with leading Birmingham's effort to stem violence in our neighborhoods]." {{BN}}
* Robinson, Carol (January 27, 2017) "[https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2017/01/birmingham_police_defends_raid.html Birmingham police defend raid tactics amid Black Lives Matter criticism: 'We made the community safer']." {{BN}}
* Robinson, Carol (April 19, 2017) "[https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2017/04/mom_of_son_shot_10_times_suppo.html Mom of man shot 10 times in 6 months praises Birmingham police crime-reduction program]." {{BN}}
* Brownlee, Chip (August 13, 2021) "[https://www.thetrace.org/2021/08/birmingham-mayor-randall-woodfin-reelection-police/ Birmingham’s Young Mayor Promised to Radically Rethink Criminal Justice. Then Shootings Spiked]." ''The Trace''
* Bookman, Alaina (August 3, 2023) "[https://www.al.com/news/2023/08/how-violence-prevention-initiatives-have-evolved-in-birmingham.html How violence prevention initiatives have evolved in Birmingham]." {{AL}}
* Bookman, Alaina (August 3, 2023) "[https://www.al.com/news/2023/08/how-violence-prevention-initiatives-have-evolved-in-birmingham.html How violence prevention initiatives have evolved in Birmingham]." {{AL}}


Revision as of 14:22, 14 August 2023

The Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative (BVRI) was a multi-faceted anti-violence program carried out in Birmingham from November 15, 2014 through November 14, 2016. It was premised on direct interaction with individuals and families deemed to be at "high risk" of being affected by violence by focusing the deterrent effect of law enforcement, and also offering a range of supports to reduce conditions that contribute to violence.

Local officials such as Mayor William Bell, Birmingham Police chief A. C. Roper, U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls and Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities (TASC) were already interested in the program when incoming Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham direct Chris Nanni began connecting them to potential sources of funding. The Community Foundation partnered with the Alabama Power Foundation to underwrite the first two years, with the idea that the city would budget for the program thereafter if it was successful.

The BVRI program was patterned after a "Group Violence Intervention" strategy based on academic research done at Harvard University under criminologist David Kennedy and promulgated through his National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC). Kennedy's research showed that a large share of violent crimes were committed by and against a relatively small segment of the population, which was also fairly closely-knit into harmful associations or "active groups". By the time it was adopted in Birmingham, the program had already demonstrated some success in Boston, Massachusetts (as "Operation Ceasefire") and in other cities. Local stakeholders attended a "Ceasefire University" training session led by Kennedy at John Jay College in New York on October 14-15, 2014.

Birmingham's BVRI committee was made up of Bell's chief of staff Chuck Faush, Birmingham City Council member Steven Hoyt, police chief Roper, deputy chief Henry Irby, U.S. Attorney Vance, District Attorney Falls, Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles regional director Denise Skelton, UAB TASC director Foster Cook, Alabama Power Foundation director John Hudson, and Nanni. Birmingham Police Captain Scott Praytor was assigned as dedicated day-to-day manager of BVRI operations. Psychologist and former Miles College assistant professor of criminal justice Jarralynne Agee was hired as the program's director and head of the Birmingham Office of Violence Reduction on March 9, 2016. They participated in weekly phone calls with Nanni and Meaghan McDonald of the NNSC.

The NNSC's technical assistance team then made a two-day visit to Birmingham on January 20-21, 2015 to analyze local "criminal violence dynamics". Their report from that analysis identified 28 active groups, members of which were involved, as victims or as suspects, in 64 of 174 homicides over a 3-year period. The group was unable to make an analysis of non-fatal shootings due to a lack of information about victims and suspects.

To implement the program, law enforcement brought members associated with those active groups into a staged "call-in" meeting with an array of local and federal officers to send a strong, coordinated message about the dire consequences of murder, not just on one victim or suspect, but on all of their associations. The desired result was for those groups to begin policing themselves to avoid attracting the extra attention.

In addition to "the stick", the program offered individuals a "carrot," pairing them with a case worker who can work with them to break out of the circumstances that lead them to commit crimes. This can include direct assistance with financial and food security, transportation assistance, and access to healthcare, including mental health and counseling.

William Bell announced the project in June 2015. Her work focused on the supportive elements of the program in coordination with community partners, including the Dannon Project. BGrace Media provided public relations services for the program. attempting to amplify what the designers dubbed, the "community moral voice."

By comparison, the law enforcement portion of the program received the bulk of the funding, as well as some pointed criticisms. A large-scale police operation was conducted at two addresses associated with the "Magic City Mafia" street gang in Central Pratt on January 24, 2017. The show of force, which included an armored vehicle, was criticized by neighborhood president and Black Lives Matter activist Eric Hall as unnecessarily "terrorizing" the community.

At the conclusion of the two-year pilot implementation, a review of the successes and challenges of the Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative was conducted by the National Network for Safe Communities. Among the challenges identified were a shortage of resources for "intelligence gathering" about groups, and "irregular meetings and inconsistent participation by agency partners." The assessment recommended stronger local management and engagement with community partners

By the time the two years of initial funding ran out, Bell has been succeeded as Mayor by Randall Woodfin, who instituted a new slate of violence reduction initiatives under the Birmingham Office of Peace & Policy and the banner of Common Ground.

References

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