Detroit Ceasefire & Violence Reduction Program

Developed in response to one of the highest Part I violent crime rates in the nation, the City of Detroit Police Department (DPD)’s implementation of a comprehensive, coordinated approach to violence reduction—which focuses on enforcement, prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation—has significantly reduced violent crime in Detroit over the past decade. However, the prevalence of gun-related violence increased significantly following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While DPD was able to maintain and even adapt its violence reduction initiatives throughout the height of the pandemic, annual Part I violent crime totals in Detroit still increased by 13% from 2019 to 2020. Ceasefire Detroit is the cornerstone of Detroit’s focused deterrence violence reduction efforts and is founded upon a “balanced approach” to enforcement and social services. The overarching goal of the Ceasefire Outreach Team is to provide community-based, comprehensive, wrap-around services that result in long-term solutions for those individuals identified as high-risk of involvement in future violence and/or those who are victims or actively fleeing violence. This project is designed to provide the additional support staff and resources necessary to fill existing operational gaps in the following key areas: 1) Member Intake & Records Management Capacity; and, 2) Emergency Housing Assistance. Additional equipment and support staff will allow for active process evaluation and consequent improvement in both the provision of services and program records management. More specifically, this project focuses on increasing the capacity of one of Ceasefire Detroit’s most critical services: emergency housing assistance, a service made possible through close coordination with the Detroit Faith-based Coalition. Without these additional resources, this service is subject to significant barriers caused by the need to locate a sufficient funding source and/or meet the qualification requirements of other housing providers. Key to the overall success of this project is DPD’s strong partnership with the Detroit Public Safety Foundation (DPSF). DPSF works with citizens, businesses, and philanthropies to help initiate and operate innovative programs that make Detroit a safer place to live, work and visit. This partnership is especially advantageous for the emergency response component of this project, as the experienced DPSF staff are able to reliably expense program funds as-needed to ensure the timely and complete provision of Ceasefire’s services. Through the implementation of both data-driven operational improvements and provision of direct services, this program supports comprehensive, immediate and long-term positive outcomes for all residents of the City of Detroit.