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Safe Streets

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Modeled after Chicago's successful Ceasefire program, Safe Streets is a grassroots violence prevention intervention in which program outreach workers mediate conflicts between individuals or groups before violence occurs. Several community organizations have been contracted by the City of Baltimore to implement the program in the city's most violence-prone districts. Outreach workers are familiar with the community in which they work, and many have first-hand experience with "life on the streets." By canvassing neighborhoods and connecting with high-risk youth and young adults to diffuse situations, the workers reduce the chance that a shooting will occur. At-risk individuals are also referred to educational opportunities, employment training, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment services.

Safe Streets is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Goal / Mission

To combat the epidemic of violence among Baltimore’s youth and support traditional public safety strategies using a combination of public health and human service models to reduce violence.

Impact

It was estimated that the program was associated with 5.4 fewer homicide incidents and 34.6 fewer nonfatal shooting incidents during 112 cumulative months of intervention post observations.

Results / Accomplishments

In an evaluation of Safe Streets by researchers from John Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence, a statistically significant reduction in gun violence was found in three out of four program areas studied. Homicides decreased by 56% in Cherry Hill and by 26% in McElderry Park during implementation of the program, and nonfatal shootings were reduced by 34% in Ellwood Park. The evaluation also surveyed youth regarding their attitudes towards violence, and found that those who live in a program area were less likely to find it acceptable to use a gun to settle a conflict compared to youth in neighborhoods without the program. Of youth who were clients of outreach workers, 88% got help finding a job, 95% received help getting into school or a GED program, 100% were helped to resolve family conflicts, and 80% reported their lives were better as a result of the program.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Baltmore City Health Department
Primary Contact
Lori Toscano
Office of Youth Violence Prevention
1001 E. Fayette Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
443-984-3566
lori.toscano@baltimorecity.gov
http://www.baltimorehealth.org/youthviolencepreven...
Topics
Community / Crime & Crime Prevention
Community / Civic Engagement
Health / Adolescent Health
Organization(s)
Baltmore City Health Department
Source
John Hopkins Bloomberg School
Date of publication
Jan 2012
Date of implementation
Jun 2007
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Baltimore, MD
For more details
http://www.baltimorehealth.org/safestreets.html
http://www.jhsph.edu/preventyouthviolence/field_re...
Target Audience
Teens, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Related Promising Practices

  1. Baton Rouge Partnership for the Prevention of Juvenile Gun Violence
  2. Bridging the Gap: Youth Violence Reduction
  3. Richmond Comprehensive Homicide Initiative
  4. Why Murder?

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Related Content for: Safe Streets

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.
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