A partner in Nashville’s first violence interruption program pulls out, amid scrutiny of the city’s public safety funding efforts

The Raphah Institute will no longer be up to split a $1.5 million grant with Gideon’s Army to work on violence interruption in North Nashville.

Last month, an advisory board recommended that the groups take on the first city-funded violence interruption pilot.

It would have pushed the organizations together, despite having different approaches — Gideon’s Army relies on people on the street who work to stop violence, while the Raphah Institute runs a diversion program with the juvenile court.

But last week the founder of the Raphah Institute, Travis Claybrooks, wrote to the mayor and the board to withdraw from consideration.

“It is in the best interests of our teams and the communities we serve that we step aside from this Metro effort and focus our resources on our current growing obligations,” Claybrooks wrote.

More: Nashville’s mayor set aside millions for community members working to reduce violence. Where has that money gone?

The letter cites Raphah’s expansion of their restorative justice work into adult court and helping Memphis launch a similar program as two reasons it could not take on the pilot.

Claybrooks could not be reached for further comment.

The board is slated to meet this week to discuss next steps. That will likely include the recommendation of another group to fill Raphah’s place.

The program Why We Can’t Wait is up for consideration — though that organization’s work primarily takes place in the Napier-Sudekum area in South Nashville. The recommendations will then go to Metro Council for approval.

Whoever winds up with the funds will get $375,000 annually for two years to work on what the city is calling a “Cure Violence pilot program.”

That model treats violence like an infectious disease, and trains trusted members of the community to stop its spread.