JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The community-based crime reduction program Cure Violence covers two identified crime hot spots in Jacksonville: the Eastside and Northwest Jacksonville.
The programs' names are Noah's Ark is on the East and The Bridges to the Cure is in Northwest Jacksonville.
Retired JSO officer Kim Varner was a program manager with Noah's Ark.
"We are proactive with our approach not reactive,"' said Varner.
When Varner said that they were three months without gun violence, he has since left the program and the end to gun violence did not last.
The city is now on pace to experience another 100 or more murder homicides; the current number at the sheriff's office is 99.
"For the most part, people don't see what is being done," said Malachi Beyah, Chairman of the Northwest Jacksonville CDC. The nonprofit runs the Bridges to the Cure that covers Northwest Jacksonville.
A month ago, it boasted of 79 days without violent loss of life on its Facebook page.
'A lot of work is being done and the only thing we see is the one that falls through the cracks so to speak," said Beyah.
Beya said the community and program share the same expectations, which are an end to gun violence
"This is a process that takes time," he said.
The program has hired 'interrupters' or those aquatinted with street life to go back into the streets to identify conflicts.
"Someone has to mediate that in order for it not to spill over into violence," said Beyah.
He said when those conflicts are resolved there is no gun violence, but there are also no news headlines.
"We have to be patient in the moment because this process is not a quick fix, it is not a quick fix," said Beyah.
The Jacksonville City Council is now reviewing Mayor Lenny Curry's budget and it includes $1.7 million to continue funding the programs.
Earlier this month, Curry announced the city is looking for funding, a grant, to expand the program to a third community.
What are the numbers, or metrics used to measure the success of the crime reduction program?
City Hall provided this data for FY starting Oct. 1, 2019 to present:
- • In the last 100 days, Bridges to the Cure has had 1 murder, and Noah’s Ark Project has had 3
- • Both sites have had stretches of at least 75 days without a murder
- • Street teams have spent over 11,000 hours on the streets in areas where violent crime has occurred
- • The sites have mediated over 200 conflicts which could have turned violent
- • The sites have conducted over 50 community responses to shootings
- • Outreach Workers at the sites have spent 1,200 hours coaching individuals who are highest risk for involvement in violence