The Coalition to Advance Public Safety (CAPS), led by four national Black-led technical assistance providers, has been on the front lines of supporting cities in reducing community violence across the U.S. Today, the coalition announces an investment of $500,000 in Atlanta, GA to help drive down gun violence by 15% through strategic Community Violence Intervention (CVI) initiatives. On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, CAPS will join leaders from the Greater Atlanta community to share details of this funding to support this work to save lives and heal communities. CAPS will invest $500,000 to support local organizations Circle of Safety, H.O.P.E. Hustlers, Wii Care, Girassol Wellness, and Atlanta Victim Assistance to continue their work and foster a thriving CVI ecosystem. To RSVP for the press conference and obtain event details, please contact Courtney M. Scott, Cities United at courtney.scott@citiesunited.org.
“Gun violence continues to impact our country, especially Black and Brown communities, and more than ever, cities are turning to Community Violence Intervention (CVI) — evidence-backed, proven strategies embraced by bipartisan leadership at every level of government—to end this public health crisis,” said Anthony Smith of Cities United, Aqeela Sherrills of Community-Based Public Safety Collective (CBPS), Fatimah Loren of the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI), and David Muhammad of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR), the four national Black-led technical assistance providers to CVI ecosystem partners, who lead CAPS. “Since the height of the COVID pandemic, we have seen a significant decrease in gun homicides across the country. CAPS is building on that momentum to support CVI organizations as they develop the infrastructure, processes, and strategies needed to deliver high-quality programs to those most impacted by violence.”
CAPS is a collaborative effort focused on supporting local CVI organizations, government and other stakeholders to reduce near-term violence over the next five years by 10–20% across 12 cities at the center of America’s battle against gun violence. The coalition partners with cities and direct service providers on the frontlines to expand the capacity of under-resourced CVI organizations and support governments that lack stable CVI infrastructure due to inconsistent funding. Cities were selected based on several factors, including homicide and non-fatal shooting rates, readiness for implementation, existing training and technical assistance, and local government support.
“We are excited for the CAPS initiative to come to the City of Atlanta. Collaboration is the cornerstone of societal change. Investing in CVI fuels growth, assists in capacity building, and provides training and technical assistance to organizations entrenched in the work. The CAPS initiative will ensure that together as a city, we can create greater impact and achieve greater shared success to reduce violence and advance public safety.” - Marcus Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction (MOVR)
In 2023, CAPS launched in Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Indianapolis, and Newark, forming the inaugural cohort of cities. Many of these cities have seen steady declines in homicides over the past years, highlighting the importance of sustained investments in CVI and the need to scale effective strategies. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that CVI strategies work. For example, Indianapolis, IN, launched an initiative that identifies individuals at very high risk of gun violence and employs intensive interventions to prevent retaliatory shootings. In 2023, the city achieved a 19% decline in murders and a 7% decline in nonfatal shootings compared to 2022. Newark saw a 32% reduction in shootings in 2022 and has experienced more than a 50% reduction in homicides over the past decade, propelled by the Newark Community Street Team (NCST), investments in the city’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, and the establishment of that office. Baton Rouge saw a reduction of 34% over 2 years from 2021 to 2023, and launched their public safety ecosystem that included the launch of intervention partnerships with Baton Rouge Community Street team, and 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge. Baltimore has experienced 2 consecutive years of significant homicide reductions (23% in 2024 and 20% in 2023); both years being noted as the largest single-year reductions in the city's history.
Building on these successes, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Oakland have been selected as the second cohort of CAPS cities. Funding for CAPS to support enhancing local CVI ecosystems is graciously provided by Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and Ballmer Group.
“We know that true public safety is built from the ground up, driven by the people and organizations working every day to disrupt cycles of violence and create real opportunities for healing and transformation. This investment in Atlanta is about more than funding—it’s about strengthening the infrastructure, capacity, and sustainability of the community-based organizations that are leading this work. At Cities United, we believe that every jurisdiction deserves a comprehensive, community-driven safety ecosystem that ensures young Black men and boys, their families, and communities can be safe, healthy, and hopeful. By partnering with cities and grassroots organizations, CAPS is not just responding to community violence—we are building a long-term vision for public safety that is rooted in equity, justice, and opportunity for all.”
- Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United
