Detroit’s ShotStoppers initiative is building evidence for a central principle of LIVE FREE’s work: communities need the resources and authority to lead violence prevention.
The city launched ShotStoppers in 2023 with an $11 million investment. Instead of relying on a single citywide provider, Detroit funded neighborhood organizations to lead Community Violence Intervention in six areas with high levels of shootings and homicides.
The teams use strategies shaped by local relationships: conflict mediation, neighborhood outreach, youth engagement, support for people returning from incarceration, and rapid response after shootings to prevent retaliation.
Early results were striking. An Associated Press review reported reductions ranging from 37 percent to 83 percent in four of the six zones during a three-month comparison period. Detroit Friends and Family’s area recorded an 83 percent reduction in homicides and shootings. Detroit has since moved ShotStoppers beyond a temporary pilot into a city- and state-funded part of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety.
LIVE FREE has long advocated for public dollars to reach credible community organizations through Fund Peace and the Break the Cycle of Violence Act. Explore more of LIVE FREE’s community-led public safety work and research library.
Sources: City of Detroit and Associated Press.
