OIC, the Springfield Foundation, the Clark County Juvenile Court, the City of Springfield, Springfield City schools, the Clark County Combined Health District, Mental Health Services, Community Health Foundation and the NAACP said they are working together to “support a meaningful, long-term initiative to address group gun violence in our community.”
“Violence prevention cannot happen in a vacuum,” OIC Director Mike Calabrese said in the release. “The Violence Prevention Coordinator will create a first-of-its-kind opportunity for our community to work collaboratively on reducing and preventing group violence among our younger populations.”
Violence is considered a public health issue by the American Public Health Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, murder rates have increased in the U.S. in recent years.
The violence prevention coordinator at OIC will develop, implement, coordinate and enhance community programs and services that aim to reduce gun violence in Springfield, according to the release.
OIC has requested a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to support the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention initiative, according to the release. This plan will use “evidence-based approaches to break patterns of violence in the lives of those individuals at the highest risk of engaging in or becoming victims of violence,” the release said.
Community leaders have also pledged to fund the position, according to the release.
“To truly reduce violence, we need a focused collaborative effort by multiple agencies,” Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said in the release. “No organization, government or community group can move the needle in a positive direction in this rising epidemic alone.”
More information on the position is available on the employment opportunities page of the OIC website.
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