Columbus City Council passes Ordinance to Expand Neighborhood Violence Intervention Program

The Columbus City Council passed an ordinance that will help the Columbus Urban League's (Columbus, OH) neighborhood violence and intervention program expand its current team who serve the community.

The council voted to fund the program, which began 13 years ago, for another year with $725,000. With the council's approval, the team of four will double to eight people.

Currently, the team of four men are on call 24/7, ready to respond when they are needed.

"They respond to help de-escalate issues, sometimes homicides, gang-related concerns happening in our community," said Vice President Charity Martin-King.

The men are considered "credible messengers" in the city, meaning they are from and live in the neighborhoods they serve.

Rena Shak, executive director of the Office of Violence Prevention, said that relationship is key.

"If we are expecting them to assist others through difficult times then we need them to know what it's like to live in those areas of Columbus and the experiences some of our residents have," Shak said.

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