City brings community and agency leaders together to strengthen violence intervention in Columbia

(COLUMBIA, MO)- The City of Columbia Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), in partnership with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR), hosted dozens of community-based organizations, service providers and public agency partners for a Violence Reduction Landscape Analysis Workshop aimed at supporting a community-based approach at addressing Columbia's community violence.

The interactive workshop brought together stakeholders from across Columbia to assess existing violence reduction efforts, develop shared definitions of community violence intervention (CVI) that bridge national field expertise with Columbia's geographic and cultural realities, and identify both strengths and opportunities for growth within the city's violence intervention ecosystem.

"Columbia already has many organizations and leaders working every day to reduce violence and support our residents," said D'Markus Thomas-Brown, administrator of the OVP. "This workshop allowed us to step back, look at the full landscape of that work and make sure we are aligned, coordinated and investing where it will make the greatest difference. This is what our community deserves."

The workshop also explored the role of a modern OVP as a coordinating and supportive backbone for CVI efforts, ensuring that community partners, public agencies and service providers are aligned in supporting those at the highest risk of violence.

Insights from the workshop will inform a Violence Reduction Landscape Analysis Report that NICJR will deliver to the City of Columbia in the coming months.

"Cities that successfully reduce violence start by being honest about where they are - what's working, what's missing and where they need to grow," said Shantay Jackson, director of the National Offices of Violence Prevention at the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). "This workshop is about bringing Columbia's partners into the same room to build a shared understanding of the work already happening and the opportunities to strengthen it."

The Columbia Office of Violence Prevention is a member of the National Offices of Violence Prevention Network (NOVPN), a national learning community of nearly 90 offices of violence prevention across the United States working to advance evidence-informed violence reduction strategies.

In addition to the landscape analysis, NICJR will partner with the City of Columbia to complete several foundational violence reduction planning efforts, including:

• A Gun Violence Problem Analysis, identifying patterns and drivers of violence in the community
• The development of Columbia's first comprehensive multi-year violence reduction strategic plan

Together, these efforts will help guide long-term investments and strategies designed to sustainably reduce violence and improve community safety.

City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.