DeKalb County Department of Human Services staff on the county’s Planning, Economic Development and Community Services Committee said a six‑month pilot of a community violence intervention (CVI) model reached residents in 15 targeted neighborhoods and enrolled dozens of participants while the department continues to spend a $1,500,000 federal planning grant.

The pilot aimed to “interrupt cycles of violence, foster trust and positive engagement, engage in public safety, promote community ownership and expand access to resources and services,” Human Services staff member Yuzette Hill said during the presentation. "We accomplished all of those objectives," Hill said.

The nut graf: Commissioners heard quantitative results and on‑the‑ground examples meant to justify continued funding and expansion. County staff and partner Hope Hustlers described community events, mediations in heated disputes, food and turkey giveaways, and case management that the presenters said reduced demand for police response in some instances.

Deborah Furtado of DeKalb County Human Services said the CVI work is funded by a federal planning grant and that the county received an extension: "we still have the grant… we received an extension through next year, so September, 2026." Furtado said the county has been working with Hope Hustlers under the planning grant and that the county’s team hopes to spend the full grant amount.

Leonard Dungey of Hope Hustlers described outreach and community events that formed the pilot’s core. "We take a public health approach to gun violence. We treat it as a disease," Dungey said, describing back‑to‑school events, food distributions and mediations at neighborhood gatherings. Presenters said events included backpack giveaways, food distributions (including more than 300 pounds of fish and 100 bags of vegetables at one event), Thanksgiving turkey and gift‑card giveaways, a truck‑or‑treat, and Toys for Tots distributions for families already engaged by the program.

Presenters summarized the pilot’s measurable outcomes from the six events and canvassing: 486 families received food; staff recorded over 2,750 public‑education contacts; teams conducted 174 mediations (which presenters characterized as incidents that prevented a police response); 33 residents enrolled in case management and wrap‑around services during the six‑month pilot (presenters said the figure has since grown to more than 50); and eight violence interrupters and case managers were deployed. The team said mediations were mostly fights (75%), with 22% involving potential gun violence and 3.4% involving domestic incidents; none of the recorded mediations involved a homicide.

Presenters attached demographic and service outcomes to case management: 94% of clients were male, 100% African American, 27% received housing assistance, 67% received employment assistance, 91% of people contacted received food, and 18% received educational services. Dungey said the program enrolled people considered "high risk," including people with histories of incarceration or gang involvement, and described the program’s staff as "credible messengers" who were accepted in target neighborhoods.

Commissioners responded with support and questions about sustainability. Commissioner Terry said the work should be part of the county’s public safety strategy and asked administration leaders to consider longer‑term funding, noting the potential for reinvesting cost savings from avoided police responses. "I fully support the Hope Hustler model," Commissioner Terry said. Commissioner Walton, chair of Employee Relations and Public Safety, said the program should be folded into broader public safety messaging and budgeting so residents see it as part of the county’s strategy.

Presenters noted parallel steps underway: an asset‑mapping phase that will show hot‑spot areas and local assets (libraries, schools, grocery stores, tree canopy), a return‑on‑investment analysis, and surveys to measure community perceptions. The team also said they are partnering with Grady Hospital and other local institutions on hospital‑based violence intervention work.

Ending: Commissioners did not take a formal vote on program expansion during the meeting; Human Services staff said they will return with additional data, asset maps and ROI analysis as they continue spending the planning grant and seeking follow‑on funding to sustain the model beyond the planning grant’s expiration in September 2026.