Sasha Cotton
Sasha Cotton is the Executive Director of the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she leads national efforts to reduce violence through data-driven, community-centered strategies that strengthen trust between government and the communities they serve. Cotton previously led violence prevention efforts in Minneapolis, where she served as the inaugural Director of the city’s Office of Violence Prevention. There, she built a comprehensive public health approach to safety—integrating Group Violence Intervention (GVI), hospital-based intervention, and street outreach—helping to establish a national model for coordinated violence reduction. She also played a key leadership role during a defining moment for the city following the murder of George Floyd.
Cotton began her career in probation and parole, building a foundation in direct engagement with individuals most impacted by the justice system. She went on to advance culturally specific and statewide violence prevention strategies through leadership roles at the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community and Violence Free Minnesota.
A nationally recognized leader in community violence intervention, Cotton is known for bridging community, government, and law enforcement to drive meaningful, lasting reductions in violence and to advance approaches to public safety rooted in accountability, legitimacy, and trust.