Reducing Gang Violence Using Focused Deterrence: Evaluating the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV)

Abstract

Research indicates that focused deterrence interventions are associated with violence reductions, although levels of success vary across sites. It is unknown if these strategies can produce sustained reductions over time, and if the variation in success is due to differences in program activities and dosages. This study provides a detailed description and evaluation of the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV), a focused deterrence violence reduction strategy implemented in Cincinnati, Ohio. CIRV's organizational structure and enhanced social services were designed to address sustainability issues that threaten to undermine long-term success. Results from our pooled time series regression models indicate that two violent outcomes--group/gang-member involved homicides and violent firearm incidents--declined significantly following implementation. These declines were observed in both 24-and 42-month postintervention periods, but not in comparison outcomes. Additional analyses, however, reveal that provision of social services was not responsible for the significant and sustained decline. Robin S. Engel, PhD, is associate professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Her research includes empirical assessments of police behavior, police/minority relations, police supervision and management, criminal justice policies, criminal gangs, and violence reduction strategies.

Cross-sector, multi-agency interventions to address urban youth firearms violence: A Rapid Evidence Assessment

“…Adding to that confidence is that although most of the studies used interrupted time series designs to study the impact of the initiative on outcomes like monthly counts of homicide or other violent crimes, comparisons to similar cities in the same state, region or nation generally supported that the decline observed after the start of the initiative was unique and not part of any overall trend. Moreover, the use, in at least two studies (Corsaro & McGarrell, 2006, 2010Engel et al, 2011), of nongang related homicide incidents as a "control variable" strengthened the conclusion that the specific targeting of high-risk gang-members was having an impact on gang-related killings that was also not part of an overall city homicide reduction trend. Furthermore, the findings in the Philadelphia YVRP project were observed using a propensity score matching approach to a quasi-experimental study (McClanahan et al, 2012).…”

“…One exception was in Cincinnati, where the CIRV program resulted in substantial decreases in gun violence at 24 months, and this effect repeated again at 42 months (Engel et al, 2011). A challenge to mounting longer term follow-ups is the difficulty in obtaining funding to support additional data collection.…”

“…Braga et al (2001) and Braga (2008) are among those evaluators who emphasized the importance of a leadership team that could oversee coordination of the initiative and insure that different city departments are collaborating. In Cincinnati, a novel approach involved city agency officials who asked Proctor and Gamble business leaders to help set up such an interagency leadership team (Engel et al, 2011). 8.…”

“…The CIRV was implemented by Cincinnati in 2007 in response to increase in gang-related gun violence (Engel et al, 2011). The city asked Proctor and Gamble to draw on its business management skills to develop a comprehensive organizational structure that included law enforcement, social services, community engagement and other systems.…”

“…Another component was "changing community norms" regarding violence by forming positive relationships with the community. Engel et al (2011) conducted an interrupted time series to study the impact of CIRV on two outcomes, measured for 3.5 years before and 3.5 years after CIRV was implemented. Those two outcomes were:…”