Mayor John Cooper’s office is now accepting applications for a $1.5 million grant to prevent violence in North Nashville. It’s a major leap from the first round of $5,000 grants last year that went to local organizations working to curb shootings.
The initiative is part of the city’s gradual shift toward more community-based solutions to public safety, at a time when violent crime has been rising.
The model is called Cure Violence. It was created by an epidemiologist in Chicago who noticed that violence seemed to be spreading like a disease. He decided to treat it with the same approach.
The groups recruit credible messengers: people who are trusted in their communities and often have their own histories of violence. Those credible messengers work to ease tensions before anyone pulls a trigger. They also connect residents with social services that could divert them from the criminal justice system.
Dozens of places around the world have adopted the organization’s so-called “violence interruption” system. New York City, for instance, has an entire government agency dedicated to the program.
In Nashville, the group Gideon’s Army has been experimenting with this approach for the past couple years. The Black Nashville Assembly has also said it hopes to create a network of violence interruption teams in partnership with the city.
Nonprofit groups have until April 22 to apply. An advisory board for the mayor will choose their top picks for the grant. Then, the Metro Council will decide who should get the money. The mayor’s office says the $1.5 million could go to one organization, or it could be split between groups, if there are multiple strong applications.
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