Are “violence interrupters” the key to stopping urban gun violence?

The non-profit Center for Court Innovation studied the impact of Save Our Streets, an anti-violence project in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, that identified and mediated street conflicts that were likely to erupt into gun violence.

During the 29-month study period, Save Our Streets staff “reported mediating more than 100 potentially violent street conflicts involving more than 1,000 individuals."

Shootings decreased by 6 percent, while increasing in nearby comparison areas by between 18 and 28 percent.

The researchers’ analysis suggests that violence in Crown Heights was 20 percent lower than it would have been if trends had mirrored comparison areas.

Read the study here