Minneapolis Enlists 'Violence Interrupters' To Decrease Crime

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis is piloting a new initiative to decrease violence with "violence interrupters" on the streets in neighborhoods now. Outreach workers for the "MinneapolUS Strategic Outreach Initiative" aim to deescalate situations before they become violent, support behavior change for people at the highest risk for violence and help communities heal.

By identifying and interrupting conflicts and working to promote community healing, the initiative is intended to break the "contagious" aspects of violence such as retaliation.

The interrupters wear bright orange "MinneapolUS" t-shirts highlighting the initiative’s purpose: to address the root causes of violence together as a community.

"By investing in our MinneapolUS violence interrupters team, we’re investing in trusted partnerships and data-driven, public health-based responses," said Mayor Jacob Frey in a news release.

"It’s on all of us to step up and think differently about public safety, and this initiative marks another direct approach to preventing and disrupting the spread of violence within our Office of Violence Prevention."

City officials say similar strategies have shown worked in other cities. In studies of the Cure Violence model, New York City has seen a 63 percent reduction in shooting victims, and Baltimore’s recent results show a 56 percent reduction in homicides, officials said.

"We need all hands on deck to stop the unacceptable violence rising particularly among young people in Minneapolis," said Council President Lisa Bender. "Violence interrupters help stop violence before it happens and are an important part of our work to make sure every person in Minneapolis is safe, especially in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by violence."

"As we build a safer city together, our city is blessed to have the MinneapolUS violence interrupters as a part of this movement," said Council Member Phillipe Cunningham, chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee.

"They are deeply respected and bring the incredibly rare skill of influencing those shooting the guns to put those guns down and make different choices. It’s powerful to see how many people clap and shout 'Thank you!' to them while they are out on the streets on the Northside."