Community Gun Violence Prevention Alliance unveils new strategic plan
Press release from the City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Community Gun Violence Prevention Alliance, a partnership of the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, and Santa Fe College, last night presented its first county-wide strategic plan to guide long-term efforts to reduce gun violence and strengthen community well-being. The presentation capped months of interviews, town halls, and conversations with nearly 200 people across the region, from educators and service providers to law enforcement, advocates, and neighbors.
The plan is built on the six core values of collaboration, transparency, care, sustainability, accessibility, and empowerment, and it lays out a shared approach for how local partners can work together in the years ahead. It sets expectations around greater accountability and data transparency, stronger coordination across City and County systems, early support for youth and families, and deeper investment in communities most affected by violence.
DPI LLC, the regional consultant selected by the Alliance to lead the planning process, has worked since last August collecting stakeholder interviews, attending community meetings, and coordinating small-group discussions. The strategic plan incorporates the opinions and experiences of neighbors who contributed to the process, as well as historical data and feedback, and will track measurable outcomes in the areas of public health and safety, health care, education, and community progress over time.
“This plan centers the voices of our neighbors and the needs we see every day,” said Gun Violence Intervention Program Manager Brittany Coleman. “Gun violence touches every part of our community, which means everybody is part of the solution. We are grateful for everyone who contributed their experiences and expertise, and we look forward to the work ahead.”
Ten high-level strategic objectives outline the work ahead, including expanding youth leadership, establishing a coordinated system of care for school-aged children, improving reentry and employment pathways, supporting family stability, and building healing-centered and economically equitable communities. How the strategic objectives are implemented will be part of the ongoing work of the Alliance over the course of the next year.
The next step is for City of Gainesville and Alachua County staff to present the material to their respective commissions for discussion and potential plan adoption in the weeks ahead. Leaders emphasized that this work requires collaboration at every level and encouraged neighbors to stay involved as the Alliance moves forward.
“From the City’s standpoint, this strategic plan provides a clear and workable structure with common sense objectives,” said Gainesville Interim City Manager Andrew Persons. “So when implementation begins, our focus will be on supporting the steady, practical steps that we fully expect will make a difference in building a stronger, safer community.”
The Alliance’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12 in Newberry at the Historic Little Red Schoolhouse from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The gathering will offer neighbors another opportunity to learn more about the plan, ask questions, and stay engaged as the work moves into its next phase. Alliance members say continued community participation is essential, and they encourage residents from every corner of the region to attend, share perspectives, and help shape the implementation ahead.
Remember, we can’t arrest our way out of this problem. Handcuffs have no place here, OK y’all? uh huh
Not one single word about enforcing the law or setting meaningful punishment for committed gun crimes. Just more meaningless virtue signalling. Just like the gun controlled states are the ones with the most crime.
I read the whole article but didn’t see an actual plan for this. It reads more like a philosophy than concrete steps that might be taken. There are steps mentioned but not how to implement them.
Hey Judges, how’s this for a strategy…..Lock them up and throw away the key. It’s really not that hard.
‘collaboration, transparency, care, sustainability, accessibility, and empowerment’ ….What in the Kamala does that even mean?
“Supporting family stability.” ~ That’s NOT going to go over well.
Building “economically equitable communities.” ~ Neither is that.
Think about it, the first goes against some policies that led some to believe they would lose government subsidies if a mother and father maintained a household. The second is also unlikely to occur. Businesses are in business to make money. There’s a reason some communities are thriving with economic opportunities more than others and it’s not because people and businesses don’t want to help; it’s because they don’t want to lose profits or be victims of theft and other crimes.
Any more suggestions?
Well starts with family ‘Do you know where your children are”. Parents, find both of them and make them attend every court hearing. Every time child misses school parent has to attend every class, before child allowed back in. Child has to write a letter of apology to teacher and class. That will read in class and graded on proper writing grammar. If minor found with weapon parents will attend counseling on ways to keep an eye on child and for signs of them hiding items in their room. By the way parent’s privacy of child room not a factor, when their safety and future is in your hands. Phone you pay the bill you should inspect it. Along with any Social Media. Supper is at 6pm family together time to discuss daily events. Sundays are family days and turn off your phones. Not saying everyone has to go to church. But visit family or just a walk in the park. You have to earn Respect and Privacy. Tired of seeing Parent on TV crying because child has been involved in a shooting and parent saying, “He’s a Good Boy”. Parents be there when they need you not when too late.
ALWAYS missing: measurements or a baseline, clearly articulated. Goal date. Target reduction. Don’t burden us with proving our results or that we merit your investment! LOL!
Because when whatever crime they want to reduce actually increases, they will predictably claim: “It would have been worse without our intervention…” uh huh…
Stop the gun violence? Shoot the criminals! Problem solved.
Schools in Washington state give out lock boxes, write behavior intervention plans and develop Individual Education Plans for students who make threats or bring weapons to school. Voting for safe storage laws and Extreme Risk Protection Orders keep citizens safer. Unfortunately, the Safer Communities federal grants, voted in by both Republican and Democrats during President Biden’s term was defunded by Trump. We still have the websites that list types of violence in WA and one that provides information on the several types of protection orders. Vote in support of gun safety laws to reduce deaths in your state.