Milwaukee County Launches National Gun Violence Prevention Program

MILWAUKEE – Today, County Executive David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and community leaders and project partners launched a new evidence-based gun violence prevention program, Advance Peace, to be implemented in Milwaukee County over the next three years. Advance Peace interrupts gun violence in urban neighborhoods by providing transformational opportunities to young people involved in firearms actions and placing them in a high-touch, personalized 18-month minimum fellowship—the Peacemaker Fellowship. The approach utilizes evidence-based practices, is person-centered, and is tailored to each individual.

Additionally, DHHS Children, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) has been awarded $2 million in federal Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). With a three-year project period, the grant funding will sustain the County’s Community Violence Intervention work post-American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and ensure that the Advance Peace program can build a strong foundation with needed staff support and resources.

“Advance Peace is an investment in solutions to decreasing gun violence that will help ensure Milwaukee County is a safe and healthy community where families and children can thrive,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “In communities across the country, the Advance Peace model has demonstrated proven outcomes in reducing gun violence. The significant grant funding received from our federal partners will allow us to build capacity and coordination to fully realize the program’s potential, and improve public health through public safety. Together, we will keep working to end the epidemic of gun violence in our communities – because lives depend on it.”

The Advance Peace violence prevention model interrupts gun violence by investing in the development, health, and well-being of those at the center of the crisis in a way that alters their life trajectories. Advance Peace began in Richmond, CA, and has since been implemented in more than 10 U.S. cities. Where Advance Peace is in place, gun violence has been reduced between 20 and 80 percent within two years of the program’s launch. While most U.S. cities experienced a troubling increase in gun violence during the pandemic, new research on the areas implementing Advance Peace suggests that those cities were able to reduce violence during that time.

“I believe that community health and safety is most likely to be improved when the focus of change starts with a willingness to directly engage and invest in individuals who are most at-risk for either committing or suffering the harm we want to prevent,” said DeVone Boggan, Founder, Advance Peace. “Advance Peace bridges the gap between anti-violence programming and a hard-to-reach population at the center of violence in urban areas, thus breaking the cycle of gun hostilities and altering the trajectory of these individuals’ lives.”

Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs focus on those who are most at risk of being a victim of or committing an act of gun violence. CVI provides a public health approach to gun violence prevention, addressing the unique needs of the community where systemic racism, disinvestments, and trauma occur. The CVI approach uses evidence-informed strategies to reduce violence through tailored community-centered initiatives. These strategies engage individuals and groups to prevent and disrupt cycles of violence and retaliation. The CVI approach includes or employs trusted credible messengers and representatives of the affected communities. Advance Peace represents one of the leading evidenced-based CVI models.

“Since 2020, we have made strategic investments in Community Violence Intervention. Advance Peace is a critical component of our comprehensive approach to connecting youth and young adults with transformative mentoring and pro-social activities that interrupt the cycle of violence,” said David Muhammad, DHHS Deputy Director. “We have seen successful outcomes through our ongoing CVI work, and Advance Peace will allow us to expand our CVI efforts and reach more at risk young people.”

Milwaukee County DHHS’ implementation partner for Advance Peace is the Milwaukee Christian Center (MCC). DHHS CYFS will work with MCC to hire staff and add a Field Coordinator position to review data on emerging conflicts and activate various elements of the CVI system including Advance Peace staff, Violence-Free Zones in schools, and the seven Credible Messenger teams.

“Milwaukee Christian Center is a proud partner in CVI work with Milwaukee County. We are deeply committed to serving youth throughout our community and helping them connect to supports that get them on a positive path for the future,” said Andre Robinson, Director of Violence Prevention Programming, Milwaukee Christian Center. “Advance Peace, along with the Credible Messenger program, will be an all-hands-on-deck approach to addressing community violence.”

The seven touchpoints of the Peacemaker Fellowship: 1) multiple daily contacts; 2) life management action plan (LifeMAP); 3) social services navigation support; 4) Elders Circle – Intergenerational Mentoring; 5) “transformative travel”; 6) internship opportunities; and 7) LifeMAP milestone allowance.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.