At a special caucus Monday afternoon, Anthony Ingram, the City of Akron’s public safety strategist, walked Akron City Council through a proposed program that aims to curb gun violence.
The program will enlist the help of previous offenders.
They’re called “credible messengers” — formerly incarcerated individuals that experienced a positive life transformation, yet still enjoy relationships in their neighborhoods.
Akron Street Team advisers involved in the intervention program may also include victims of gun violence.
It’s all part of the city’s “Safer Together” initiative, which Mayor Shammas Malik highlighted in his 100-day plan. It’s also part of the larger community violence intervention ecosystem which includes the Youth Success Summit, the Akron Police Department, hospitals and the faith community.
“We want to engage with the community to be a part of creating solutions,” Ingram said. “That’s quintessential in this model.”
The next step is for organizers to submit the intervention program for council approval, but that cannot occur until there is a proposed budget. The budget has yet to be finalized, Ingram said, because team members are creating comparable job descriptions and titles.
If approved, organizers plan to launch the pilot program August 1. The pilot will contain 3-6 trained messengers. Ingram said the first participants have not been selected, although initial training is scheduled June 6-7.
Akron City Council members wonder if program will be successful
The selection process includes an assessment conducted by the Street Team’s national consultant, who will evaluate whether messengers are ready for intervention, outreach or prevention.
At-large Council Member Eric Garrett asked about the vetting process of potential messengers, as well as what criminal experiences disqualify candidates.
Ingram explained that participants will include residents with “some pretty serious records,” so conversations with the program’s community partner would be a part of the decision. He added that the mental health readiness component planned for Akron is not taking place at the national level.
“You will see that they have transformed their lives in a way that they’re not the person who they were before,” Ingram said. “They have a different thought process. They have a different mentality.
“And they are really, really committed.”
Where will the Street Team start in Akron?
The initial target is 1-2 neighborhoods with a high volume of gun violence, Ingram said, but not necessarily in the Akron neighborhood with the highest volume.
“Why not?” Ward 5 Council Member Johnnie Hannah asked.
“If you don’t go to a hot spot first, then those hot spots are going to continue to grow. So what area are you going to go into?”
Ingram responded that organizers want to ensure the Akron Street Team is successful in other areas before moving to higher-risk environments.
Stopping gun violence: Has it worked in other cities?
Similar programs aimed at reducing gun violence have been implemented in Detroit, Indianapolis and Kansas City, but as of now, other than reduced gun violence, there are no metrics of success.
Ingram said the Bureau of Justice Assistance has issued a grant that will tie in a research component that allow programs to transform from “promising practices” to evidence-based practices.
Will Akron police work directly with formerly incarcerated individuals to curb gun violence?
Council members on Monday also questioned the Akron Police Department’s involvement as credible messengers receive information on violent crime activity.
“I’m overwhelmed thinking about the challenge of credible messengers threading the needle working with police and also students,” said at-large Council Member Jeff Fusco.
Chief of Strategy Nannette Pitt said credible messengers aren’t “in the room” with the police department. Instead, they will receive reports through a middle organization, so the credibility of messengers is not compromised.
