One NC city reduced homicides by 40% with a strategy the rest of the state can use | Opinion

Violence doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it often stems from deeper issues, such as mental health crises, poverty and trauma. To reduce violence effectively, we must address these root causes by supporting those on the ground who are working directly with our most vulnerable residents.

As a recent graduate of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago, I had the honor of visiting the White House and discussing what I know works. Violence can be curbed when working with mental health professionals and crisis counselors during times when communities are in need.

I know it works because I’ve seen it firsthand leading the City of Greensboro’s Community Safety Department, where we deploy civilian responders to de-escalate violence, divert individuals from the criminal justice system and address mental health and homelessness.

The key to reducing violence lies not just in enforcement, but in empowering community responders, mental health professionals and crisis counselors to intervene early and prevent escalation. This holistic, compassionate approach helped reduce homicides in Greensboro by 40% in 2024.

The leadership academy deepened my understanding of community violence intervention and emphasized the importance of collaboration within a broader ecosystem of services, from mental health to homelessness, substance abuse and law enforcement legitimacy.

Too often, individuals in mental health crises are met with force, not care, exacerbating the situation and creating more harm. By integrating mental health professionals into our community safety teams, we can intervene early, provide targeted support and prevent escalation before it turns to violence. These professionals are trained to handle complex emotional and psychological issues, allowing them to defuse high-tension situations and offer meaningful support that law enforcement alone cannot provide.

The structure of our Community Safety Department can be replicated in Raleigh or other NC cities to prevent violence. The most important aspect of our office is intersectionality; homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse are all contributors to violence and are connected. It is ineffective to have siloed departments that just deal with one issue without touching the others. Developing a community safety department is more than just a Band-aid for cities — it’s addressing the root problems by incorporating the right public safety responders at the right time to provide individuals with pathways that can lead them to make life changes and divert them from violence.

Greensboro is not the only place finding success with this approach. Mecklenburg County has also seen positive impacts by integrating mental health professionals and civilian responders into violence prevention efforts. There, the Crisis Intervention Team — combining mental health professionals, law enforcement and community advocates — trained more than 900 responders as of 2022, ensuring people in crisis receive appropriate care.

While success can be found, there is still more to do to expand upon this approach across our state. The residents of North Carolina’s cities and counties need safety and compassion, which is why I champion integrated community safety response teams every day. It’s more than just connecting our vulnerable citizens with resources; they need to be given the strength, autonomy and confidence to access to them. By incorporating these approaches, we are not just preventing violence, we are helping individuals on their path to healing and stability while simultaneously building stronger, safer communities.

This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 12:39 PM with the headline "One NC city reduced homicides by 40% with a strategy the rest of the state can use | Opinion."