Project Longevity Bridgeport joined Giffords Law Center in Washington, DC to discuss urban gun violence reduction efforts and high light the impact of initiatives in Oakland, CA, and Connecticut's Project Longevity. Representing Project Longevity Bridgeport was Harold Dimbo and Aquil Crooks who were joined by Oakland's Ersie Joyner, Peter Kim, and Reygan Cunningham and Giffords Law Center Senior Staff Attorney & Urban Gun Violence Initiative Director Mike McLively.
Giffords recently published a reporting on the successful efforts of Oakland's Ceasefire operation which targets street group gun violence through a diverse collaborative that marshalls a confluence of resources to help individuals who are seeking change. Oakland follows a framework that shares DNA with Project Longevity's strategy. The Group Violence Intervention framework also referred to as ceasefire or focused deterrence has been studied for years and has been proven effective through a strong formal evaluation record that presents evidence derived from more than 60 peer-reviewed studies, and four systematic meta-reviews.
The group also engaged federal elected officials, gun violence prevention advocates, and others regarding need for incessant local, state, and national efforts to save lives from preventable gun violence.
Project Longevity is proud to stand with and celebrate Oakland and the city's tremendous success in reducing gun violence. We can not thank Giffords enough for their impassioned, focused and impactful national advocacy efforts for gun violence prevention. You can learn more about Oakland's efforts and Giffords by clicking here and here.