Miami BCJI Project

Miami, Florida, is divided into 13 neighborhoods known as  Neighborhood Service Centers. Data gathered from 2018-2020 crime reports show that the neighborhoods of  Little Haiti and Model City account for an outsized volume of gun violence in Miami--out of 5,397 city-wide gun violence incidents, Little Haiti (population 36,664) and Model City (population 21,365)  account for nearly 58% of those incidents. Burdened with high poverty rates, the census tracts within both neighborhoods have been identified as Opportunity Zones (QOZ).

    The City of Miami is requesting $1,000,000 in funding support to develop the Miami BCJI Project (Project) in Little Haiti and Model City for research, evaluation, and implementation of a Focused Deterrence framework, including Community Violence Intervention strategies. Project goas are to: 1) design evidence-informed strategy to reduce serious violence in the targeted neighborhoods in the City of Miami, drawing on provided strategies such as the GVI; 2) implement customized and tailored strategy to reduce serious violence in the targeted neighborhoods.; and 3) develop a plan to sustain Miami’s strategy beyond the life of this federal grant. The geographic boundaries of the project will be within Little Haiti zip codes 33127, 33137, 33138, 33150 and  Model City zip codes 33127, 33142, 33147, and 33150.

     City of Miami Police Department (MPD) is the lead agency in collaboration with the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Ummah Futures International. Project activities include rigorous research and analysis of the immediate violence dynamics in the target areas; peer exchanges to jurisdictions implementing strategies to address similar dynamics; strategic advising from experts with deep experience in the design and implementation of evidence-informed public safety frameworks; program management costs, and a team of Street Outreach Workers and Clinical Social Workers for community outreach and case management services. MPD will provide and manage the full-time Project Coordinator. The Project has the support of the Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office for collaborative efforts, including expanding Project Safe Neighborhoods initiatives. 

     Miami-Dade County has successfully adopted Focused Deterrence framework in multiple districts. The City sees an opportunity for sustainability with the economies of scale, given the deep investments that multiple law enforcement, community, and support and outreach partners have already made that could inform similar work in the City of Miami. The City’s Office of Grants Administration will seek other funding opportunities to support BCJI efforts.