OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY, PROVIDERS ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF ANTI-VIOLENCE CRISIS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN 2020

Now part of the Office of Neighborhood Safety, CMS’ presence is set to expand at a critical point in New York City’s ongoing work as the safest big city in America

New CMS operations set to begin in Mott Haven, with current programs expanding into additional neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens

NEW YORK—The new Office of Neighborhood Safety announced on Friday details of plans to expand the successful anti-violence Crisis Management System (CMS) community safety program in 2020.

Through partnership between the Mayor’s office and the City Council, CMS is slated to see substantial expansion in the coming year. This includes:

• Expansion of CMS service in Brownsville (73^rd Precinct,) in partnership with the Center for Court Innovation, which will work to incubate local partners Brownsville Think Tank Matters and Elite Learners

• New CMS investments in:
  • East Harlem (25^th Precinct) – SAVE/Getting Out Staying Out
  • Edenwald (47^th Precinct) – Good Shepherd Services
  • Coney Island (60^th Precinct) – Operation H.O.O.D/JCC
  • East Flatbush (67^th Precinct) – 67th Precinct Clergy Council

• CMS expansion in the 113^th Precinct in Rochdale, Queens (113^th Precinct,) where a partner will soon be announced, as well as in the Patterson and Mitchel Houses in Mott Haven (40^th Precinct)

The expansions are part of an overall $5.5 million investment by the Council and Mayor’s office to bring the proven safety generators into more communities. The investments coming at a critical moment for New York City, which continues to be the safest large city in America.

“Our partnership with CMS providers is an essential and indispensable feature of New York City’s pioneering efforts in the co-production of durable safety between government and residents,” Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Director Elizabeth Glazer said. “Our CMS partners will be well-served under the new Office of Neighborhood Safety, as the City prepares for major criminal justice change in the year to come.”

“In New York City, there are many layers to our efforts which prominently feature amplifying the expertise and collective strength of community members, many of whom have been personally impacted by neighborhood conditions. It is our goal to ensure they are at the helm to continue our vision of democratizing public safety, and our role as government to remove systemic barriers to make our city the safest it’s ever been,” said MOCJ Deputy Director Eric Cumberbatch, the head of ONS.

Launched as part of the Office to Prevent Gun Violence (OPGV) in 2017, CMS deploys teams of credible messengers—community members whose backgrounds allow them to connect with and motivate those at-risk—to 22 sites, where they mediate conflicts on the street and connect high-risk individuals to services that can reduce the long-term risk of violence. These include a year round employment program, mental health services, and trauma counselling, among other things.

Researchers at John Jay College of Criminal Justice have found that, across all CMS sites, shooting victimizations fell by 28% over the first 24 months following a site launch, compared to the 24 months prior to the launch. Similarly, gun injuries were down 33%, researchers found. Additionally, researchers found CMS also increased trust in police and decreased residents’ reliance on violence to settle disputes.

CMS’ effectiveness in helping to create safety is measured well beyond simply crime stats. Since 2015, CMS have helped amplify community safety efforts through 2,800 anti-violence community events. More than 268,000 residents have been reached during community responses and events, and more than 23,000 violence interruption and de-escalations have been completed. The CMS network has recruited more than 1,800 new participants, and 8,200 referrals have been issued for service.

“We are grateful and humbled to be in the presence of leaders that dedicate their lives to redefining justice as a strength of healing, creating force fields of support, and fostering community change to ensure violence does not pervade,” OPGV Executive Director Jessica Mofield said. “The co-production of safety in our communities can only be truly accomplished when it is designed to empower residents to lead the solutions to challenges.”