Celebrating 40 Years of Advancing Safety and Justice

Dr. Edmund McGarrell, recipient of the Reducing Violent Crime Award, with BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore (left) and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen (right).

Dr. McGarrell has over 40 years’ experience working with BJA and the field in addressing violent crime. Dr. McGarrell and his team developed the original BJA-funded Project Safe Neighborhoods and Smart/Innovations Suite TTA programs, to include the creation of planning documents, templates, case studies, group exercises, reports, and webinars that continue to be used by the field. He also developed the Smart Suite Researcher-Practitioner Fellows Academy, with more than 750 graduates to date – with each participant taking best practices, evidence-based strategies, and implementation and sustainability knowledge back to their communities. He is also heavily involved in countless other initiatives directed at reducing violent crime, to include the Violence Reduction Assessment Tool, Drug Market Intervention model, and the Strategic Approaches to Community Safety Initiative. Through his work directly with the field, he has significantly impacted violence reduction efforts in both Indianapolis and Detroit.

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, recipient of the Reducing Violent Crime Award, with BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore (left) and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen (right).

The State of New York built a network of 11 regional crime analysis centers (CAC) using funding from the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, serving more than 300 law enforcement agencies and providing connectivity and visibility to more than 450 data sources. In 2023 alone, the CAC network provided nearly 95,000 analytical, investigative, and administrative products to law enforcement partners. As a result, New York State has returned to historic lows in gun violence.

Erie County Reentry Coalition, recipient of the Co-Creating Safer Communities Award, with Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen (left) and BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore (right).

Supported by a BJA National Training and Technical Assistance Center technical assistance award, the Erie County Reentry Coalition was formed to develop a strategic approach to reform corrections and reentry through a racial equity lens. The Coalition identifies gaps and deficiencies in systems. In response, a new Division of Community Reintegration was formed in the local jail, creating evidence-based programs for the jail population, as well as post-release services. A Reentry Opportunity Center has also been stood up in the community to provide walk-in services to those in need. The Coalition continues to seek input from the community, holding regular meetings that attract key stakeholders, to include judges, prosecutors, probation officials, Sheriff's deputies, community providers, and individuals with lived experience.

Urban Peace Institute (UPI), recipient of the Co-Creating Safer Communities Award, with Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen (left) and BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore (right).

UPI oversees the BJA-funded LA Peacemakers Coalition Initiative aimed at reducing violent crime for Los Angeles County residents who are disproportionately impacted by gun and gang violence. UPI has trained over 5,000 peacemakers nationwide (120 based in Los Angeles) with the goal of dismantling oppressive and predatory institutions and establishing lasting community-led community safety. Specifically, UPI provides community violence intervention, training and technical assistance, and justice transformation activities intended to encourage reform and promote the advancement of intervention. They also developed the curriculum for the Los Angeles Violence Intervention Training Academy, designed to train and certify community intervention workers. Statistics show that intervention workers make a significant impact, to include a 41% reduction in retaliatory violence over a one-year period in Los Angeles.

Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC), recipient of the Reforming Our Nation’s Criminal Justice System Award, with BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore (left) and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen (right).

PTACC has approximately 60 partners from across the criminal justice spectrum (e.g., law enforcement, lived experience, treatment providers, community agencies) committed to reducing costly social and justice burdens and helping to save lives through deflection and pre-arrest diversion. PTACC’s mission is to strategically widen community behavioral health and social service options available through law enforcement diversion and provide vision, leadership, advocacy, and education to facilitate the practice of pre-arrest diversion across the United States. The benefits are numerous, but include saved lives, improved chances at success in life, reduced recidivism, and improved communication and partnerships with the community.

Captain Tom Fallon, recipient of the Reforming Our Nation’s Criminal Justice System Award, with BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore (left) and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen (right).

Captain Fallon serves as the Commander of the Hamilton County (Ohio) Heroin Task Force & Quick Response Team (QRT). In response to the county’s 570 overdose deaths in 2017, Captain Fallon launched the QRT in April 2018. Supported by BJA CARA (now COSSUP) funds, the QRT uses a co-responder model for post-overdose response based on the guiding principle of “how can we help you?” The team makes a minimum of three in-person attempts 3-5 days post-overdose with the goal of connecting the individual to essential treatment services. The QRT is also designed to aid individuals experiencing mental health disorders, co-occurring disorders, or homelessness. As a result, there has been a 31% decrease in overdose deaths in Hamilton County since 2017.