City's Youth Violence Effort Gets National Look

The U.S. Department of Justice just released a report, “A Review of Minneapolis’ Youth Violence Prevention Initiative”. The report, created by the National Center for Victims of Crime, describes the City’s initiative to prevent and reduce violence by and against youth.

It is interesting and helpful to see how national experts on this topic understand our efforts.

The report concludes,

"The city’s Blueprint for Action: Preventing Youth Violence in Minneapolis attacks the root causes of violence while holding juvenile perpetrators accountable for their actions and offering rehabilitation where appropriate. In the process, the initiative has woven a citywide fabric of partnerships that other jurisdictions can replicate. Community members and professionals from juvenile justice, law enforcement, community programs, and public health—no longer feeling isolated—have a renewed sense of purpose as part of a larger effort, moving in the same direction toward the same goal. Crime statistics are showing preliminary positive effects. A young but promising initiative, the Minneapolis Blueprint offers grounds for further research and potential for the quest to end youth violence."

Hopefully, the report will help keep us focused and build interest in our work preventing youth violence in Minneapolis.