“Cure Violence” assessment beginning in Jacksonville this week

A group which tries to stop gun violence by treating it like a disease will be in Jacksonville Tuesday to begin an assessment of the gun violence in the city and talk to community and city leaders about their program. This past weekend, four people died and five others were hurt in seven separate shooting incidents across Jacksonville.

The group is called Cure Violence and they say, through the program, trained staff from the community go to hospitals when violence happens and act as mediators against potential retaliation. They also establish a program which identifies people who are at a high risk for violence and gives them an alternative and they try to change social norms.

The group says their program has already been implemented in cities like Baltimore and Chicago. Advocates for the program say when its constantly funded, people can see up to a 70% drop in shootings.

It’s expected the assessment will take about a month to complete, and after the results are released, city leaders are expected to decide whether to fund it.

There will be two public workshops Wednesday and Thursday, where you can learn more and provide feedback. The meeting Wednesday is at 7PM at the Legends Center Auditorium on Soutel Drive, and Thursday’s workshop is at 6PM at the Mary Singleton Center on East 1st Street.