Hope Task Force outlines community-led plan to reduce gun violence in Euclid

The Hope Task Force on Monday told the Euclid Executive Finance Committee it has moved from research and listening sessions into implementation steps aimed at reducing gun violence and strengthening community connections.

The task force presented a timeline of work that began with a December 2022 city presentation, moved through listening sessions and expert panels, produced a May visioning session and a June report, and now enters an implementation and evaluation phase that the steering committee expects to complete this fall. Task-force leaders said the effort focuses on youth safety, neighborhood connection, trauma-informed services and restorative practices, and on coordinating existing services to reduce duplication and reach residents who are not currently engaged.

Pam Terros, a co‑chair of the Hope Task Force, told the committee the group has emphasized resident voice in planning and has restructured into a steering committee so partner organizations can report every other month on progress. "We want to be the place that will connect you with resident voice and volunteers," Terros said, noting the group’s role in linking residents, service providers and city efforts.

Mark Chupp, professor and director of the Community Innovation Network at Case Western Reserve University and a research partner for the task force, summarized the project’s phases and evidence base. Chupp said the task force compiled a 28‑page annotated bibliography of national…