Youth Gun Violence Prevention - Citizens Crime Commission of New York City

Youth Gun Violence Prevention

Gang and gun violence are very real problems impacting many neighborhoods throughout New York City. Too often, decisions are made about how to address this violence without considering the opinions of the communities most affected by it. To create effective solutions, we must listen to and uplift the voices of those who understand their neighborhoods best.

The CCC has created a comprehensive approach to addressing youth gun violence. Our current programs are designed to counteract the systemic factors that contribute to such violence, addressing the issue at it’s source.

Community Peace Advisory Boards (CPABs)

In partnership with the National Network of Safe Communities (NNSC) and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), the CCC has developed four Community Peace Advisory Boards (CPABs) in neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of gun violence across New York City, including Brownsville, East Harlem, South Bronx, and Jamaica. Frontline community leaders with a strong commitment to improving the safety of their neighborhoods make up each CPAB.

Each board works together with government agencies to reduce gun crimes through empirically based prevention strategies that address the root causes of violence and build on existing community strengths. The CPABs have successfully implemented a host of gun violence reduction strategies and community engagement tactics. Some of these achievements include: a full summer of Open Streets without violent incident; improved city safety features, such as speed humps and additional streetlights; and over 5 large scale community resource sharing events. The boards have also advocated for local government policy shifts in areas such as housing and employment. Additionally, the CPABs engage young people through a surveying project measuring community opinions on the effectiveness and impact of the existing community-based organizations in East Harlem. The boards continue to advocate for positive change and thoughtfully partner with community offices across all four neighborhoods.

The boards meet every other week to discuss issues impacting their communities, generate innovative solutions, and provide informed recommendations on public policies and practices. Members receive $100 for their thoughtful contributions to each meeting.

For more information, please contact thomas@caasny.com.

Violence Reduction Database

Recognizing that we cannot prevent youth gun violence without fully understanding and addressing the root causes, the CCC has created a custom database of unmet needs and life factors contributing to youth violence. In collaboration with 17 SNUG sites, the CCC collects community and individual-level information to help understand the drivers of gun violence and strengthen lifesaving solutions. This data includes information about violent victimization, trauma, complicated grief, food insecurity, availability of healthy support systems, access to stable housing, and more. Using this research, we intend to dispel harmful narratives about the youths who are drawn to gun violence and gain insights into what interventions are most effective in making positive change.

The CCC also conducts a reoccurring comprehensive review of each SNUG site, analyzing the data quality and offering training to sites on how to utilize the database more effectively and better showcase the work at their sites.

For more information about the database, please contact smith@caasny.com.

Train Work Forward

Youth and young adults in communities affected by gun violence are rarely provided with exposure and access to well-paying employment. Recognizing that low-wage jobs lack opportunities for advancement and do little to impact poverty and crime rates, the CCC offers a comprehensive career readiness program to empower youths to reach their full potential.

Train Work Forward (TWF) serves black and brown neighborhoods across the five boroughs, where unemployment and underemployment are widespread. By providing long-term career-building opportunities, we aim to reduce participants' chances of engaging in or becoming a victim of gun violence. Unlike traditional job readiness programs, TWF focuses on the whole individual and offers wrap-around services, helping participants meet their basic needs and creating the stability necessary for successful employment. Participants receive help applying for supportive services, such as government programs, SNAP benefits, WIC, and child subsidies.

Through our business partnerships, young people explore career pathways beyond the low-wage, dead-end jobs they are often exposed to. Participants build practical conflict management, critical thinking, and professionalism skills to put their best foot forward in the working world. In addition to providing guaranteed job placements, these partners offer career exposure tours and mock interviews with seasoned professionals to make participants more comfortable with the hiring process.

TWF gives youth the skills to build success that lasts a lifetime. If you want to learn more about our program or would like to get involved, please contact pao@caasny.com.