Thursday, May 23, 2024 — Cleveland — Yesterday, city leaders joined members of the National Offices of Violence Prevention Network (NOVPN) for an event hosted by the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention focused on community violence intervention and collaborative work to build an ecosystem of Offices of Violence Prevention (OVPs) to keep our communities safe.
OVPs, also known as offices of neighborhood safety and other names, are premised on the notion that community safety should not be the exclusive province of policing and the criminal justice system. Charged with addressing public safety through the lens of public health, OVPs typically focus on the application of community-based strategies to intervene in or prevent violence for those at highest risk of engaging in or being the victim of gun violence.
In 2022, the City of Cleveland established an all of government approach under the leadership of Mayor Justin M. Bibb through the Mayor’s Office of Prevention, Intervention, and Opportunity, the Community Relations Board, Public Safety, the Department of Public Health, and Public Works to increase public safety and reduce violence. Earlier this week, the Bibb Administration outlined an all-of-government approach to summer safety in the city.
Numerous local and state governments have recently established OVPs in response to nationwide surges in violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2023, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to reduce gun violence, implement, and expand upon key executive and legislative action to save lives. This White House gathering of NOVPN members from more than 40 jurisdictions represents the next step in President Biden’s commitment to ending gun violence in our country.
“The City of Cleveland’s commitment to strengthen internal and external coordination and engage in national networks like NOVPN is improving our approach and results for violence reduction and prevention in our communities,” said Sonya Pryor-Jones, Cleveland’s chief of youth and family success.
“The NOVPN team is excited to have Network members from across the country join us at the White House in this first of its kind discussion in our nation’s history,” said NOVPN Director Shantay Jackson. “These leaders are at the forefront of their local jurisdictions, working tirelessly with their communities and partner agencies in the reduction of gun violence and, as we head into the summer months, this conversation is necessary, timely, and invaluable.”
About NOVPN
The National Offices of Violence Prevention Network (NOVPN) is a first-of-its-kind learning community with the goal of significantly increasing the expertise and effectiveness of offices of violence prevention and other similar agencies. The NOVPN hosts virtual and in-person convenings; provides trainings on violence reduction practices; coordinates cross-OVP learning exchanges; offers leadership development; and builds OVP capacity in data collection, fund development, and media relations. The NOVPN also supports the creation of new OVPs in jurisdictions interested in developing such agencies, and the Network partners with the White House’s National Office of Gun Violence Prevention to facilitate access to OVPs. Originally established in 2021 with a membership of 21 established OVPs, the Network has grown to nearly 60 members, including multiple state-level offices of violence prevention and local OVPs launched with NOVPN support. To learn more, visit https://ovpnetwork.org/. The NOVPN is a strategic initiative of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). To learn more about NICJR, visit https://nicjr.org/.
