A RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: MAYOR DE BLASIO, PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS ANNOUNCE NEW GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORT

 

Mentorship program connects violence interrupters with at-risk New Yorkers to prevent gun violence 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today announced that New York City will pilot the Advance Peace Model, a new gun violence prevention program that pairs youth who are at-risk for gun violence with individual mentors.

"The most effective solutions come from the grassroots and create change beyond the power of government," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "The Crisis Management System has empowered leaders from across our city to take control of their neighborhoods and rethink what it means to keep each other safe. This Advance Peace Model will guarantee a safer and fairer New York for generations to come.”

 

“We all have a part to play in co-producing public safety, and healing old wounds and building new partnerships will require bold actions. It is not enough to react to violence, we need to advance peace,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “This pilot program is an opportunity to demonstrate the power of not only this program, but these principles of public safety. I thank the Mayor for funding the Advance Peace pilot program in New York City. After seeing such success with the Crisis Management System, we must continue to innovate in our work to reimagine public safety, and I’m eager to put this model into action and save lives.”

 

Under the pilot, the City will conduct outreach in areas with high levels of gun violence to identify youth who are at-risk for gun violence.  Select individuals are then invited to join the Peacemaker fellowship, which pairs mentees with individual Neighborhood Change Agents who mentor them and set tangible goals like a drivers’ license or a GED. When participants achieve their goals, they receive a monetary stipend.

 

The Advance Peace model has proved successful in other parts of the country. A peer-reviewed study of the pilot in Sacramento, California showed a 27% reduction in gun violence in the program’s catchment area over two years. The study further demonstrates the efficacy of the program by documenting high levels of service referrals, conflict mediations, and gun violence interruptions.

 

The pilot will launch in July of 2021 in five precincts citywide: the 46th Precinct in the Bronx, the 114th Precinct in Queens, the 26th Precinct in Manhattan, the 73rd Precinct in Brooklyn, and the 120th Precinct in Staten Island.