The United Nations Table for Violence Prevention
Introduction:
Breaking Barriers Mentoring and its program All of Us Or None WI (AOUON-WI) have established and participated in violence interruption programs in Madison WI and Milwaukee. Currently AOUON-WI has convened the United Nations Table for Violence Prevention (UNTVP), a coalition of grassroots community leaders, organizations, and elected officials.
This project supports the BBMI and the AOUON staff organizing and optimizing the UNTVP project, through the first year of the program. Helping to recruit and train additional violence interrupters, acting as a liaison with Milwaukee Police, and developing community awareness and participation in UNTVP.
The Milwaukee UNTVP has devised a 15-point framework composed of evidence-based methods that have been proven to be effective in both Milwaukee and Madison. This plan was developed in collaboration with grassroots community leaders, activists in the criminal justice system, city officials, established nonprofit leaders, the Milwaukee Police Department, and members of the community. UNTVP calls for investment in key programs to prevent and address violence in Milwaukee and the creation of a violence prevention office, independent of the Milwaukee Police Department, to oversee the funding distribution and needs for carrying these programs.
The UNTVP works at two levels. In the very short term, trained violence interrupters respond to high tension situations after being alerted either by people calling the UNTVP hotline or by police dispatch. On a longer-term basis UNTVP builds communities through public events, both celebrations in parks and community meetings where residents can raise concerns, engage elected officials and brainstorm solutions.
Goals and Objectives:
The goals of UNTVP is to reduce violence in the participating neighborhoods, reduce over-policing of the neighborhoods and develop neighborhood solidarity.
Methodology and Timelines:
UNTVP is an ongoing project. The role of AOUON-WI is to provide organizers to recruit members of the participating neighborhoods both as violence interrupters and as involved members of their neighborhood power structures.
Anticipated Outcomes
Goal 1: Reduce Violence
The work of the violence interrupters yields the most concrete outcomes. The primary performance measures are the number of community and police referrals to the violence interrupters demonstrating community buy-in. A secondary measure is decreased police calls to the addresses that the violence interrupters respond to.
Goal 2: Reduce Over-Policing
As police calls and violent incidents decrease, police will have less call to patrol participating neighborhoods. This may not decrease police presence unless the community also comes together to demand reduced policing.
Goal 3: Building community
The United Nations Table for Violence Prevention (UNTVP) is a brand-new program designed to decrease violence and strengthen Milwaukee neighborhoods now experiencing poverty, criminalization and deterioration of social structures.
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