City presents evaluation of gun-violence blueprint; partners urge sustained funding, street outreach and capacity building

City staff and the evaluation team presented an update on the Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint at the City Council study session on Jan. 28, 2025, describing program activities, early outcomes and recommendations for sustaining and strengthening the multi-agency effort.

Director Rachel Joy (Equity and Engagement) and Community Safety and Justice staff opened by describing the blueprint’s goals: prevent and reduce gun violence, foster community engagement to address systemic inequities, and use data-driven decision-making to guide implementation and accountability. The program launched after a council study session in December 2021 and now includes a network of partner organizations delivering prevention, intervention and victim services.

Dr. Anthony B. Sellers Jr., lead evaluator, summarized the evaluation approach and key findings. He said the evaluation combined site visits, document review, interviews, partner reporting and incident data. The team found that, since 2021, certain measures have improved while shooting incidents showed year-to-year…