PEACE ORLANDO
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Initiative
PEACE ORLANDO
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Initiative
Peace Orlando
In November 2022, FRRC launched a Community Violence Intervention (CVI) initiative called Peace Orlando. CVI is a proven community-based gun violence reduction strategy that is backed by extensive research and is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Justice as one of the most effective means of reducing violence.
%
reduction in fatal shootings in first year
%
reduction in nonfatal shootings in first year
fatal shootings from March-September 2024
Since the launch of Peace Orlando, we have seen dramatic results:
- By the end of the first full year of implementation, independent evaluators from the University of California found that the city of Orlando had a 20% reduction in fatal shootings and a 36% reduction in nonfatal shootings.
- Data from our second year of implementation are even more impressive: from April to September 2024, Orlando went just under six months without a fatal shooting, and we are now on track to exceed 60% reductions in both fatal and nonfatal shootings after two full years of implementation.
- Not only are shootings lower than the year prior to implementation, but the City’s average monthly shootings are now the lowest on record.
How Does It Work?
Community violence intervention strategies are based on the principle that in any given city, it is a small fraction of the population—often just 0.1%—that is responsible for the majority of shootings. Using a public health approach, we employ trained interventionists—usually individuals with deep ties to the community and personal experience with violence—who build relationships with high-risk individuals in order to mediate conflicts, prevent retaliation, and help program participants adopt nonviolent lifestyles. This typically includes referrals to mental health services, job training and placement, victim and family services, emergency housing support, and a range of other tailored services.
In Orlando, FRRC partners with the City of Orlando and various local, state, and national organizations to make this happen.
Live Free USA
Live Free USA is a national organization that supports CVI implementation throughout the country. They introduced CVI to Orlando, spent years advocating for its implementation, and provide us with ongoing technical assistance in relation to program design and management.
Advance Peace
Advance Peace is a national organization that provides CVI training and technical assistance to cities around the country. They train and coach FRRC’s street intervention team based on their successful CVI model that reduced fatal and nonfatal shootings by over 80% in Richmond, CA.
No Limit Counseling & Education
No Limit Counseling & Education is a local organization that provides mental health and therapeutic services throughout the region. Their therapists are familiar with the CVI approach and specialize in working with our particular population.
Operation New Hope
Operation New Hope is a statewide organization that provides life and job skills training for people with past histories with the criminal justice system, and places them in employment that offers a sustainable quality of life. They are beginning to work with our program participants.
What’s Next?
We want to build on our success and expand Peace Orlando throughout the region. Our data suggests that there are plenty more high-risk individuals that need attention both in Orlando and throughout Orange County, but additional funding will be needed to make this happen. The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform calculates the taxpayer cost of gun violence in cities around the country and found that a single shooting in Orlando costs taxpayers between $839,000 and $1,600,000. Between November 2022 and September 2024, there have been 161 fewer people killed or injured by firearms in Orlando comparison to the year before we launched. This means that every dollar invested in Peace Orlando pays for itself many, many times over.
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