The City Council approved a new contract with One Step Further to run the Cure Violence program in Greensboro for another year at the Tuesday, Nov. 17 meeting.
There was no official report on the program, however, councilmembers did receive a brief update by email from Assistant City Manager Trey Davis who later emailed that update to the Rhino Times.
The $399,000 contract was approved by a unanimous vote of the City Council with Councilmember Yvonne Johnson recused since she is the executive director of One Step Further.
The Cure Violence program is highly controversial in itself and made more so in Greensboro because it is run by Johnson, who is arguably the most powerful member of the City Council.
Cure Violence attempts to reduce the number of violent crimes and in particular murders in specific areas by hiring “interveners” who are often convicted felons and ex-gang members. The job of the “interveners” is to find out about and stop violent crimes before they occur through mediation and having a relationship with those in the community.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan said that when the City Council committed to contracting with One Step Further to run the Cure Violence program, “We said it would have to be for more than a year. Cure Violence and the staff have done a really good job.”
Vaughan and Councilmembers Justin Outling and Sharon Hightower all talked about expanding the Cure Violence program to additional neighborhoods. It currently operates in two, the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive corridor and Smith Homes.
The update provided by Davis does not show any success in the reduction of homicides in the two Cure Violence areas. In 2018 there was one homicide in the MLK corridor area and in 2019 no homicides. So far in 2020 with the Cure Violence program in operation there have been two homicides in the MLK corridor.
In Smith Homes in 2018 there was one homicide and in 2019 there were no homicides in the Smith Homes area. So far in 2020 there have been no homicides in the Smith Homes area.
If you consolidate the data in the two areas during 2019 before Cure Violence there were no homicides and in January through November 16, 2020 with the Cure Violence program in place there have been two homicides.
I’m shocked, SHOCKED!
How many police officers could have been hired instead of “giving ” that money to cure for violence?
Just short of $900k given to a sitting council member without public input is organized corruption, criminal?
Where is the accountability? What is the pay for each employee? Other costs? Is there an office being used or someone’s home as an office?
Who else is receiving our tax dollars without accountability? Our citizens should have the right to have access to how the money, our tax dollars are being spent.
Accountability for Cure for Violence . Is this to much to request from our city council who so freely gives our money away?
Council cries to defund the police, subject the police department unnecessarily to criticism, attempting to make “illegal “ laws and yet they wonder why the murder rate is increasing?
Elections can not come soon enough!
I don’t think maintaining a low number of homicides is a bad thing. I’m not sure why you think that money should have been spent to hire police officers instead – not sure they have shown to solve that problem.
Another way to look at this might be to look at data for areas not involved with CURE Violence. Crime has been significantly up in most cities this year (including homicides), so actually a situation of no increase is evidence of doing better than the more heavily “policed” areas that don’t have CURE Violence. John has a history of demonstrating he doesn’t understand how numbers work, so it might be good to get someone else’s opinion. Homicide is up 12% according to last week’s report on Greensboro-NC website (however it does list the year as 2019, but the week is correct so this could be reflecting last year having a 12% increase).
That’s just a different perspective. No need to get angry about it.
I believe you are missing the point of accountability. Almost 1 million dollars given to a group that has no accountability to the citizens of whom they received money from. I am confused, why do you think “ maintaining a low number of homicides is a bad thing”? Any life lost is a tragedy – my opinion.
I do agree cure for Violence should be place in other areas, but $500k for 2 small sections of the city? Where is the accountability?
I requested John to investigate, as an investigative journalist, why the council refuses to provide accountability to the citizens of Greensboro who’s money they are giving away.
Angry, you bet I am. I am confident I share this anger with many of our citizens you pay taxes, depend on our council for accountability. We the citizens have a right as the council has a responsibility to answer to us. They work for us, we do not work for them.
Oh, this is satire. You called John Hammer an investigative journalist. I get it now.
I think you missed my point of looking at the data in a different way.
Satire- no. John is doing a good job reporting.
Preach it brother. But I think I saw that Cure for Violence accounting model is the same that is used for the Civil Rights Museum. And you are called names for demanding that any records showing how and where the money is spent should be made available to the city council. Plus I am sure it doesn’t come with pictures so I highly doubt that the city council has any idea how to read it.
Vote them all out!!
Why am I not surprised? These libs on the council won’t get the message until the city looks like Detroit, burns like Portland, and smells like sewage. Just keep doing what you’re doing, we will get there soon enough!
Ha! After last week you think maybe we should put some of that $399.000 to work in the triangle between Greensboro Police Dept, Guilford County Sheriff Dept, and the Courthouse? What a mockery.
Alan & Glenn have beat me to it. I can think of no other remedy for me but to leave town, and the County.
Too old and too wide to do that now.
Dumb & Desperate in NC
Sounds like you’re making excuses. Bye. Please?
Why not? It seems to be working so well and is apparently putting money in Johnson’s pocket.
It comes from your pocket.
This is a waste of money and a total sham. City council is a joke, and has been so for years.
It is no wonder that companies leave this area and no new companies want to come here.