Building on 15 years of success as a program of Advancement Project, Urban Peace Institute launched as an independent organization in August 2015. Following the events in Ferguson and many more locations across the country, we’ve heard a growing call for action to transform the way police interact with communities of color and to strengthen the movement to achieve safety and peace for all. We believe that safety is a human right and are working to implement this call to action. As a new entity, Urban Peace Institute – with its expertise and impact in the fields of relationship-based policing, violence intervention, and policy advocacy to end mass incarceration – will continue to contribute to the national movement.
Over the years, we have had the privilege of partnering with more than 22 communities and jurisdictions across the country to reduce and prevent community violence. Highlights of our work include collaboration with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Police Department to design an innovative pilot initiative, Community Safety Partnership, a relationship-based policing approach implemented in public housing developments that was able to achieve a 70% reduction in violent crime and 50% reduction in arrests in its first year. Our signature training program, Urban Peace Academy, has trained over 2,500 individuals – street outreach workers, law enforcement, public sector leaders, school personnel, and community residents – on violence reduction strategies. Our technical assistance team has worked with numerous communities to apply a public health approach to assess violence and gang dynamics and develop and implement short- and long-term safety strategies.
Together with our partners, we hope to continue creating and implementing innovative policy, systems, and practice solutions to reduce violence, achieve safety, and improve community health so that families can thrive. Together we can make a difference. For more information about Urban Peace Institute, sign up for our newsletter at UrbanPeaceInstitute.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.