Save Lives Now! is a St. Louis regional violence reduction initiative working toward one shared goal: saving lives and making communities safer. With continued collaboration and investment, that impact can grow. Learn more: www.ewgateway.org/save-lives-n...

Still far too much murder in the U.S., but this is remarkable progress. H/t @jeffasher.bsky.social

Former Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones' op-ed in the St. Louis American highlights the importance of continued investment in Save Lives Now! and the collaborative role stakeholders play in strengthening community safety. Read here: www.ewgateway.org/wp-content/u...

Sustaining violence reduction efforts like Save Lives Now! means investing in public safety, supporting communities, and preventing future harm across the St. Louis region. Saving lives should remain a shared goal. Read the latest coverage here: www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...

Last week in St. Louis, leaders came together for the Save Lives Now! Collab Lab. Facilitated by the VRC, we heard perspectives from Mayor Cara Spencer, St. Louis County Director of Violence Reduction Thomas Crees, Mission: St. Louis' Jason Watson, and VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social

Yesterday VRC Director Thomas Abt and Deputy Director Amber Parker were in St. Louis to facilitate a conversation about the region's SaveLivesNow! initiative. Bottom line: the strategy is working but needs more support to be fully functional. www.firstalert4.com/2026/04/30/s...

Today we are in St. Louis, facilitating a SaveLivesNow! CollabLab. We've been supporting this regional anti-violence initiative for more than two years. Read about SLN! here: ewgateway.org/save-lives-n...

Check out the latest Violence Reduction Center newsletter, Getting to Zero. Stay informed on current initiatives, updates, and progress toward reducing violence. Read the newsletter: mailchi.mp/51c8928aff68... Stay connected: umd.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

Myth: Violence interrupters just “talk to people.” Fact: Community violence interrupters are skilled professionals who step into high-risk moments to prevent violence. Thank you to the interrupters doing this life-saving work. Example: Roca Inc’s intervention model rocainc.org/how-we-do-it...

Check out this valuable resource from the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform Identifying High-Risk Populations for a Public Health Approach to Community Violence Intervention. Access the report here: nicjr.org/files/galler... Join the upcoming webinar: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The VRC congratulates Knoxville on their meaningful progress. Knoxville’s strategy, led by Mayor Kincannon and carried out by the Office of Community Safety, police, and partners, reflects what works: focused, balanced, fair people-and place-based approaches. knoxvilletnpolice.gov/2026/04/firs....

Join the UMD Community THRIVES Laboratory Symposium on Family and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention on April 10th. We’re honored to co-sponsor this important event and contribute to meaningful conversations around prevention and awareness. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/family-and...

Good news from the City of Knoxville. To quote Mayor Indya Kincannon, "Knoxville crime prevention efforts are paying off." knoxvilletnpolice.gov/2026/04/firs....

Developed by the Joyce Foundation, this research report highlights what works in reducing gun violence: centering communities, building trust, and aligning research with real-world practice. Worth revisiting for anyone committed to community-driven solutions. www.urban.org/sites/defaul...

Here's a nice NYT piece on Camden, a violence reduction success story. As you can see, it's not one thing, it's many. It's the police, but not just the police, it's the community as well. Success is hard to reduce to a bumper sticker. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

To learn more, get the white paper, and check out a webinar on the same topic, go here: vrc.umd.edu/convenings

If you work in the violence reduction field, you already know how social media can catalyze violence IRL. We need to move beyond mere awareness to developing, implementing, and testing concrete strategies.

In the News: VRC Founding Director, @thomasabt.bsky.social speaks to The Guardian about findings from the VRC Symposium on Social Media and Community Violence - including what can be done to identify and address escalating interactions online. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026... #gunviolence

When engagement fuels harm — Preventing escalation takes alignment among tech platforms, violence interrupters, researchers, law enforcement, and the young people most affected. www.techpolicy.press/social-media... #socialmedia #communityviolence #gunviolence

Smart coordination saves lives — Preventing online violence depends on cross-sector collaboration that prioritizes trust, bringing together tech platforms, violence interrupters, law enforcement, and communities. www.techpolicy.press/social-media... #socialmedia #communityviolence #gunviolence

The time to act is now. Prevention requires coordination and commitment from tech platforms, community violence interrupters, researchers, law enforcement and impacted youth. www.techpolicy.press/social-media... #communityviolence #socialmedia #gunviolence

In high-risk communities, online conflict accelerates offline retaliation, write Thomas Abt, Desmond Patton, and Joseph Richardson. Prevention requires coordination and commitment from tech platforms, community violence interrupters, researchers, law enforcement and impacted youth.

The VRC hosted a Symposium on Social Media and Community Violence. A new paper, “Addressing the Role of Social Media in Catalyzing Community Gun Violence,” shares conclusions & recommendations. The paper & a recording of the release webinar is now available - vrc.umd.edu/convenings #gunviolence

The VRC is in the news -- A great feature on our new white paper: Addressing the Role of Social Media in Catalyzing Community Gun Violence. #communityviolence #violence #socialmedia davisvanguard.org/2026/03/viol...

The VRC published "Addressing the Role of Social Media in Catalyzing Community Gun Violence", a white paper that documents symposium discussions, describes new strategies, proposes pilot programs, and identifies areas for future research. Watch a recording of webinar release: vrc.umd.edu/convenings

The VRC just released a new white paper on social media and community violence and UMD’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences did a nice writeup on it. Our thanks to @progressumd.bsky.social and @everytown.org for supporting this important work. Read here: bsos.umd.edu/featured-con...

Excellent integration of the conclusions and recommendations found in our new white paper Addressing the Role of Social Media in Catalyzing Community Gun Violence. Thanks to Crime and Justice News for the attribution. Read here: crimjj.wordpress.com/2026/03/06/s...

Thank you to everyone who joined today’s webinar. A central theme: young people are domain experts in digital spaces. Their insight and partnership are essential to effective online violence prevention. We’re grateful to our co-sponsors, @everytown.org and @progressumd.bsky.social.

Curious about the role social media plays in community gun violence? Read the UMD’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences article highlighting key insights and recommendations from our new white paper: bsos.umd.edu/featured-con... Join us for our webinar! umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Our white Paper, Addressing the Role of Social Media in Catalyzing Community Gun Violence is now live! vrc.umd.edu/sites/vrc.um... Join us today for a live webinar about the paper. Register here: umd.zoom.us/webinar/regi... Thank You Symposia Sponsors @everytown.org and @progressumd.bsky.social

Tomorrow at 1 PM ET, the VRC will host a live webinar on the Role of Social Media in Catalyzing Community Gun Violence. Join us: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi... Picture features: Citizens Crime Commission of New York City Director of Violence Prevention Research and Strategic Programming, Jai Thomas

Today is #GivingDayUMD - but the VRC’s work continues. We connect research and practitioners to support communities impacted by gun violence. Support this work today: giving.umd.edu/make-a-gift?... The VRC and UMD’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences are grateful for your support.

Don’t miss your opportunity to join our webinar on March 5th at 1 PM EST. Register now to be part of this important conversation: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi... Photo features: Retired @nypdnews.bsky.social Assistant Commissioner, Kevin O'Connor

Firearm violence is the leading cause of death for US children & teens and disproportionately impacts Black & Latino youth. Social media disputes can fuel these conflicts, but platforms can take steps to help prevent them. Report: www.bradyunited.org/resources/re...

There's less than one week left to register for our upcoming webinar on Social Media and Community Violence. Sign up to join us at 1PM ET on March 5th. umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The study by Anthony A. Braga, Brandon Turchan, and David Weisburd is an updated systematic review of focused deterrence strategies. Focused deterrence was linked to a 23.7 percent drop in violent crime and a 25.1 percent reduction in violent firearm crime. Read the study: doi.org/10.1111/1745...

We're hosting a webinar to mark the release of our new white paper, Addressing the Role of Social Media in Catalyzing Community Gun Violence. The discussion features leaders from research, public safety, practice and youth perspectives. Register here umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The VRC is hosting a webinar on March 5th to launch our Social Media White Paper. Join the experts as they share key recommendations and explore how digital violence impacts real life. Registration link coming soon! Photo features @progressumd.bsky.social Co-Director, Joseph B. Richardson, PhD

Is this the ONLY thing cities should do? Of course not. In our work with cities, @vrcinfo.bsky.social recommended focused deterrence to 3 of 4 current partners, all of whom are successfully pursuing it. But we've recommended other strategies as well. vrc.umd.edu/practice

A very important study with practical significance for the field of violence reduction was just published in Criminology & Public Policy. Read on. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform's latest report profiles @cityofoakland.bsky.social and Indianapolis showing how each city achieved consecutive years of reduced homicides and how concrete, actionable approaches can be replicated. Read the full report: nicjr.org/files/galler...

The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform's Group Violence Reduction Strategy includes combining data-driven identification, respectful engagement, intensive relationship-based supports, focused enforcement when necessary, and performance tracking. Read here: nicjr.org/files/galler...

@ucdaviscvp.bsky.social spoke with 45 community violence prevention specialists (CVPS) to explore their role in preventing violence. Their proximity and perspective provide valuable guidance to inform and strengthen violence reduction efforts. Read more: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Check out VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social interview on the Chris and Amy show on @kmoxnews.bsky.social, where he discusses St. Louis's encouraging progress in violence reduction through the regional Save Lives Now! initiative. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sHN...

An important new report from the Council on Criminal Justice on the continued decline of crime rates in 40 U.S. cities:

Agree with this. @vrcinfo.bsky.social and others have been pushing these polices for the past few years and it's made a difference. Read the whole @nytimes.com piece, based on the @counciloncj.org's excellent new report. counciloncj.org/crime-trends...

The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform released The Successful Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, outlining an evidence-based approach that supports sustained reductions in gun violence nationwide. Learn how cities use data to create safer communities. Read: nicjr.org/files/galler...

The VRC recognizes Knoxville’s progress in public safety. According to preliminary 2025 crime data, homicides declined 26%, reaching the city's lowest total since 2016. Non-fatal shootings fell 27% in 2025, following a 45% reduction the prior year. Report: knoxvilletnpolice.gov/wp-content/u...

St.Louis reached its lowest homicide total since 2013. These ongoing reductions reflect regional collaboration, including St. Louis’s adoption of the evidence-based Save Lives Now! initiative to reduce homicides. The VRC is proud to support these efforts. Read here: www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...

In 2025 the VRC deepened its impact. Highlights included hosting the Social Media Symposium; expanding partnerships to five cities, including Memphis and @atlantageorgia.bsky.social; presenting at the American Society of Criminology conference; and welcoming our Deputy Director. A year of growth!