Bystanders in a Crowd: Main Street Shooting Among Many Similar Incidents

[Jeffrey] Butts is a research professor at the John John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He said prevention efforts have focused on youth intervention and economic disparity. “That was all designed for a pre-pandemic world,” Butts said. “An erosion of civilization happened with the pandemic. It seemed like society was coming apart. People were scared.” Continue reading Bystanders in a Crowd: Main Street Shooting Among Many Similar Incidents

Podcast — Are violence interrupters more effective than police?

Gun violence is a massive problem in American communities. And after decades of failed policies, some community members are taking matters in their own hands and working as violence interrupters. In this episode of Beyond Black History Month, we meet members of Save Our Streets, or SOS. We find out how some of the same people who once caused neighborhood violence are dedicating their lives to stopping it. Continue reading Podcast — Are violence interrupters more effective than police?

‘Defund the Police’ Is Dead But Other Reform Efforts Thrive In U.S. Cities

“My main concern is that [politicians] don’t care about the details, they just want to have a good sound bite and a good promotional campaign,” says Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Continue reading ‘Defund the Police’ Is Dead But Other Reform Efforts Thrive In U.S. Cities