Columbia is South Carolina’s capital city, with a residential population size of 131,674 that grows by over 100,000 during the academic school year and legislative session. Columbia offers many benefits as it is home to seven colleges and universities and two military institutions; it is rich in government services, community social support, and non-profit organizations. Despite these rich assets, the city experiences a chronic violent crime problem, with crime rates double the average US rate over the past ten years. Columbia has a consistently and significantly higher rate of violent crime than the state of South Carolina and of similarly sized American cities; the murder rate in Columbia is significantly higher than the national murder rate. Gun violence is the top crime challenge in Columbia, with most murders committed by firearms. Furthermore, the total number of person-hit shootings (PHS; including both fatal and non-fatal shootings) is consistently high.  

‘North Columbia’ consistently accounts for a disproportionate number of the city’s PHS each year, accounting for no less than 28% of PHS each year, but at times representing more than half (54%) of all PHS in Columbia. In addition to its violence, North Columbia has the highest rate of poverty in the City of Columbia. Furthermore, more than two out of every three adults in the area report they have experienced adverse childhood experiences. 

Resident surveys indicate that the relationship between officers and citizens in North Columbia has been damaged over the years, which has impacted the ability to address crime issues. This is also evident when a comparison of shots fired detected via ShotSpotter technology vs. shots reported by citizens shows that only 23% of all shots fired were reported. Targeting gun violence, through building trust and collaboration, has the potential to make a generational impact on the well-being and resilience of the North Columbia community long plagued by trauma and tragedy and is likely to have a positive influence on the City of Columbia as a whole.  

The primary objective for the Columbia BCJI team is to measurably reduce gun violence in Columbia by diverting at-risk youth away from violence and into positive activities with support and mentorship. Another objective is to shift the norms in Columbia’s highest crime communities to focus on trust, collaboration, and empowerment as an additional means of sustainably and effectively addressing youth violence. Our priorities are driven by the objective crime data combined with feedback from residents in North Columbia. The proposed approach is informed by Cure Violence (CV), an evidence-based Community Violence Intervention (CVI) strategy which disrupts violence using three main pathways:  

• Detect and interrupt violence. 

• Treat highest-risk individuals. 

• Change norms regarding violence. 

Informed by CV, the following strategies will be implemented to reduce gun violence:  

• Detect and Interrupt Violence: Hire and train two street outreach workers who will serve as credible messengers in the community. They will be responsible for building trusting relationships with youth; identifying and mediating conflict; and identifying and recruiting the highest-risk youth.  

• Treat the highest-risk youth: Establish the North Columbia Youth Empowerment Initiative (NCYEI) Transitions Program which will treat the youth at highest risk for future engagement in violent crime. Risk factors may include school performance, delinquency, and family risk factors. 

  • Hiring a Transition Coach who will serve as a case manager, connecting enrolled youth with local resources and support.  

  • Training volunteer mentors, including local police officers, who will meet with youth at least once per month. 

  • Exposure Experiences: Monthly trips to reinforce adherence to support plans and to build social capital and awareness with 10-15 youth per year. Participation will last an estimated 12-18 months per enrolled youth. In addition, positive opportunities will be offered to at-risk youth living in the target community to interact with police and build skills related to resilience. 

• Change the norms related to violence: Build a Neighborhood Council of Empowered Residents that will direct activities designed to promote anti-violence and norms related to empowerment, collective change, and trust. These activities will include use of social marketing and communications to promote norms related to peacemaking and anti-violence; beautification projects to address blighted areas where crime occurs most frequently; coordinating peaceful responses after shootings and other traumatic instances; and community events which bring police and community together for fellowship and fun and promote messages related to anti-violence and peace. 

During the Planning Phase, the grantee site directed efforts to involve diverse stakeholders in data collection and analysis, and strategy planning and development. Through collaboration with community partners, including police, city government, and social service agencies, the Columbia Team strives to develop trust and reduce violence. To achieve these goals, the grantee site will implement the following strategies:

• Credible Messengers: Trusted community members will be hired to build relationships with youth in the community and identify and connect at-risk youth to resources and supportive programming.
• Partnership Liaisons: The partnership liaison will serve as a case manager, working with at-risk youth to conduct a support assessment to identify needs for youth and their families. The partnership liaison will develop a support plan based on the identified needs and goals.
• Students Ignite: An afterschool leadership program for at-risk youth will be held each semester in two neighborhoods to encourage youth to learn about social justice history, develop life skills, receive resources, and create their own projects in the community.
• Police Activities League (PAL): The site will partner with the Columbia Police Department (CPD) to engage and mentor youth through structured athletic activities in the community.
• Handle with Care Network: Site practitioners will conduct case review meetings with CPD, Richland School District One Social Workers, and credible messengers to provide comprehensive wrap-around support to at-risk youth and their families. The network will build on the established Handle With Care program where CPD officers notify school personnel if a student has experienced a trauma at home or in the community.
• Connect to Next: Connect to Next will provide an intimate space for at-risk youth and families to connect with local service providers. The Partnership Liaison will host Connect to Next trainings in hot spot neighborhoods with 10-15 residents at a time, allowing for in-depth conversation related to needs and available support.
• Peace Teams: A group of community residents will facilitate conversations around reducing violence and promoting peacemaking alongside police and service providers. These teams will assist in designing and implementing community initiatives.
• Peace Summits: The Columbia Team will hold quarterly summits to enhance capacity for residents to use community violence intervention (CVI) efforts.
• Pop-up Peace Events: The Columbia Team will host community events to bring police and residents together to foster fellowship, build trust, and spread awareness about campaign messages and opportunities.
• Communication Strategies: The Columbia Team will support the development of messaging and marketing materials to emphasize peace and unity in the community. 

Columbia Police Department, City of Columbia, Trio Solutions, Inc (TRIO), community partners, residents