Milwaukee Adopts ‘Cure Violence’ Program In Effort To Help Break Cycle Of Shootings, But It Has Its Critics
The program works on the idea that violence spreads like an epidemic and trains trusted community insiders, some of whom have criminal backgrounds, to anticipate where violence might occur and intervene before it erupts. In other news, outlets from Texas and Massachusetts report on the intersection of violence and mental health.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Public Health: How Cure Violence Interrupts Shootings
Milwaukee is trying to prevent violence before it happens. The city's 414LIFE team follows a public health model known as Cure Violence, which has been used national and internationally. The model grabbed headlines in 2011 when it was the subject of a documentary that followed three "violence interrupters" in their Chicago neighborhoods. (Luthern, 9/25)
Austin American-Statesman:
Austin Leads In Police Shootings During Mental Health Calls, Study Finds
Austin has the highest per capita rate of police shootings during mental health calls among the 15 largest U.S. cities, a violation of international human rights standards, according to a report by University of Texas researchers and a local law advocacy group released Tuesday. The Human Rights Clinic of the University of Texas School of Law and the nonprofit Austin Community Law Center found that of the 24 people killed in Austin police shootings from 2010 through 2016, at least a third of those had confirmed mental health conditions. (Osbourne, 9/24)
Boston Globe:
Acton Police Enhance Assistance For Those With Mental Illness
The Acton Police Department recently completed several initiatives to enhance its ability to assist people with mental illness. The department in 2017 agreed to join the One Mind Campaign, a program started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to improve interactions between law enforcement agencies and individuals with mental illness, according to Acton Police Chief Richard Burrows. (Laidler, 9/24)