Overview of: “Community‐driven violence reduction programs

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2011.00762.x
• Author: Steven Chermak,Jeremy M. Wilson
• Date: 01 November 2011
• Published date: 01 November 2011

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

COMMUNITY-DRIVEN VIOLENCE

REDUCTION PROGRAMS

Overview of: “Community-driven violence

reduction programs

Examining Pittsburgh’s One Vision One Life”

Jeremy M. Wilson

Steven Chermak

Michigan State University

Research Summary

We assessed the effect of the One Vision One Life program on violence by comparing

target areas with comparison areas constructed by propensity scores and by programstaff

recommendations, and by examining areas adjacent to the target areas. We found the

program was not associated with changes in homicide but was associated with increases

in aggravated and gun assaults. Whereas aggravated assaults increased in one spillover

area and decreased in another, gun assaults increasedin one spillover area and did not

statistically change in the other.

Policy Implications

The findings raise severalcritical issues for similar and future initiatives. Among others,

these include the transferability of success in programs elsewhere and elements missing

in the Pittsburgh implementation. Successful results from similar programs suggest the

promise of these programs, whereas the Pittsburgh results suggest the need for continued

rigorous evaluation.

Keywords

violence,community,gangs,crime prevention,problem solving,quasi-experiment

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2011.00762.x C2011 American Society of Criminology 991

Criminology & Public Policy rVolume 10 rIssue 4