Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement outlines plan to coordinate violence‑prevention work in Memphis and Shelby County

Valerie Matthews and Tamika Williams, leaders of the newly formed Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, briefed Shelby County commissioners and community partners on the office's strategy to coordinate violence‑prevention work across Memphis and Shelby County.

The presenters said the office — formally launched in November 2024 — will act as a backbone organization to “inform, integrate, invest and innovate,” coordinating nonprofit providers, building capacity for grant applications, and creating a public accountability dashboard that maps crime and local resources.

The office intends to adopt a public‑health approach to gun violence, the presenters said, focusing on prevention and intervention and on directing resources to neighborhoods and individuals identified as highest risk by data. The presenters said they will support community‑based violence intervention (CVI) models and make subawards to local organizations while helping those groups apply for state and federal grants.

Why it matters: Memphis and Shelby County officials said the region has a persistently high rate of gun violence that disproportionately affects Black and Brown males. The joint office aims to reduce shootings by aligning city and county efforts, improving data sharing, and strengthening local organizations so they can scale evidence‑based work.

Matthews, who serves on the Shelby County side of the office, said, “We are the first and we are the only joint office in The United States Of America,” and described the office’s role in convening partners and supporting data‑informed deployment of resources.…