This dashboard and the supporting data are important pieces of the larger Violence Reduction Framework, the city's playbook to address violent crime collaboratively. The new framework will complement existing community-led efforts and support the work of Mecklenburg County and other partners.
Violence Reduction Framework
Founded upon five pillars, the framework can be used by residents, staff, community leaders and elected officials to help reduce and prevent violent crime in Charlotte.
Intergovernmental Collaboration
Local elected governing bodies will develop relationships to share resources and improve service delivery. Over time, these partnerships will help create a community-wide comprehensive violence reduction strategy.
Community Collaboration in Priority Areas
Aligning city and Mecklenburg County resources will increase community impact and reduce one-off and duplicative efforts. Work in this pillar will focus on areas In Charlotte where violent crime is prevalent. These areas are displayed on the dashboard as priority areas which include Beatties Ford Road and LaSalle Street; Central Avenue and North Sharon Amity Road; Nations Ford Road and Arrowood Road; and Sugar Creek Road and Interstate 85.
Violence Interruption
The strategy recommends the creation of a violence interruption program. The program will employ and train Charlotteans with ties to specific neighborhoods to de-escalate situations before they turn violent. Violence interruption, a model used in several benchmark cities including
New York City, focuses on interrupting violence before it begins; connecting individuals who present the highest risk for committing or becoming victims of violent crime to resources, services and opportunities; and changing community ideas around the normalization of violence.
The city is partnering with
Cure Violence to begin that effort, and working with partners on a hospital-based violence intervention to engage violence victims in the hospital, during their recovery to receive assessment, counseling and social support in order to reduce recidivism.
Invest in Community-Led Efforts
The city and its partners will provide resources and training to Charlotteans and local organizations to prevent violence, promote racial equity, and build resilient neighborhoods.
Use Data and Evidence
By sharing data and information among departments, agencies and community partners will be better equipped to inform policy and program development and support comprehensive program evaluation.
Over time the framework will be used to direct and guide policies, practices and programs.
Related Resources
Jumpstart Microgrant Program
Office of Equity Mobility and Immigrant Immigration
Cure Violence 101 Virtual Workshop Registration