The Group Violence Intervention model seeks to reduce violent and gun-related crimes. This report documents the model’s implementation and impact in Newburgh, New York. Results suggest the rate of violent crime in Newburgh was significantly lower than rates seen over the previous five years. While this drop was consistent with broader downward trends, the decline in Newburgh was greater than in neighboring comparison communities. No changes were recorded in the rate of gun violence, and trends in neighboring communities were mixed, rendering the program’s impact on such violence unclear.
Previously known as Boston’s “Operation Ceasefire,” the Group Violence Intervention model’s core approach involves putting law enforcement, service providers, and community members in consistent, direct communication with potential perpetrators of violence to underline the consequences of violence and promote alternatives. The implementation of the model in Newburgh, New York, was funded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.