Pontiac launches Group Violence Intervention training, council funds two outreach positions

City officials and outside experts on March 4 described the launch of Pontiac SAFE’s Group Violence Intervention (GVI) strategy and a recent problem analysis that shaped a targeted plan to reduce gun violence. Council followed the presentation by adopting an $85,000 budget amendment to fund two outreach positions for the program.

Pontiac’s GVI project manager, Koli Gracie, said the analysis was a two-year review of recent homicides and nonfatal shootings. Gracie told council the analysis identified who is involved, where incidents cluster and the role of youth, and that the city identified 15 active groups responsible for a disproportionate share of violence. “It is our job to keep stupid stuff from happening in our community,” Gracie said during the presentation.

Deborah Higgins of the National Network for Safe Communities led the training sessions and emphasized that the model pairs focused deterrence (notifications to high-risk individuals) with services. “When we offer that support… it never expires,” Higgins said, describing outreach and the offer of wraparound services for people who initially decline them. The program team said juvenile involvement is significant in Pontiac: the analysis found that roughly 12 percent of incidents included at least one person under 18, 57 percent involved a juvenile victim and 43 percent involved a juvenile suspect; 86 percent of incidents that involved juveniles also involved a confirmed or likely group member.

Project staff said they conducted “GVI University” training this week with local partners, including the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, and are recruiting staff for outreach and street-credible credibility roles. Brian (BK) Killian Bay, the outreach coordinator, described his background and role engaging young people and stressed that GVI must pair disruption of violence with employment and services for people who lose illicit income sources.

Council approved the $85,000 amendment to the general fund to hire two outreach positions that the team said are needed to begin street-level notifications and service linkage. Officials said additional reporting will come to council during implementation and that community partners and code enforcement are already collaborating on conditions that contribute to violence.

Ending: The GVI team said it will deliver the full problem-analysis report to council by email and provide regular updates on outreach hires, notification schedules and measures of violence reduction.