Safe Streets stands as Baltimore’s primary initiative to combat gun violence, launching in 2007. Rooted in the Cure Violence public health model, pioneered by Dr. Gary Slutkin in 2000, this program deploys trusted community members as violence interrupters. These individuals are crucial in diffusing conflicts, promoting anti-violence messaging, and fostering positive shifts in both individual behaviors and community norms surrounding violence. Baltimore adopted the Cure Violence approach, which originated in Chicago, and first implemented it in the McElderry Park neighborhood of East Baltimore.
Safe Streets extends its reach across ten designated zones within Baltimore City, encompassing a total area of 2.6 square miles. The communities served include: Belair-Edison, Belvedere, Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Franklin Square, McElderry Park, Park Heights, Penn-North, Sandtown-Winchester, and Woodbourne-McCabe.
Evaluations of Safe Streets, notably by Johns Hopkins University, indicate a strong correlation between the program and decreased shootings, both fatal and non-fatal. These reductions are observed not only within the program’s operational areas but also in the immediately adjacent vicinities. In 2020 alone, Safe Streets teams successfully mediated over 2,300 conflicts, preventing potential violence. A notable success story is the Cherry Hill location, which in June 2021 celebrated a full year without a single homicide within its catchment area, demonstrating the tangible impact of safe streets initiatives.
Community engagement is central to the Safe Streets model. Each site actively hosts events and conducts daily outreach, aiming to disseminate information, cultivate trust among residents, and amplify the Safe Streets message through credible messengers. These sites have become recognized as vital community hubs, offering access to resources and conflict resolution services. In 2020, Safe Streets organized 451 community mobilization events, drawing over 58,000 attendees, highlighting the program’s deep community integration.
Currently, Safe Streets is undergoing a comprehensive internal evaluation to identify areas for service enhancement and improved outcomes across its ten sites. The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) has partnered with Dr. Joseph Richardson from the University of Maryland and Dr. Daniel Webster of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to conduct an independent evaluation. This collaboration aims to refine the Safe Streets model and better integrate it within a broader network of care designed to address violence throughout Baltimore communities, ensuring safer streets for all residents.
