At the New York City Council’s executive budget hearing on May 19, 2025, key officials discussed the metrics that will assess the effectiveness of Community-Based Violence Prevention Program (CMS) initiatives aimed at reducing violence among youth. The discussion surfaced critical questions about the future of these programs amidst rising concerns regarding youth gun violence.
Council members emphasized the necessity of establishing clear, evidence-based metrics to evaluate the success of CMS programs. One official pointed out that simply reporting the number of canvassing operations or shooting responses does not suffice as evidence of effective violence reduction. Instead, he called for a framework that looks beyond raw statistics, advocating for a deeper understanding of the specific methodologies used to measure program effectiveness.
The city currently tracks several key indicators to evaluate the performance of CMS initiatives. These metrics include the number of community events held, the engagement of community members, and the frequency of mediations and de-escalations undertaken by service providers. For instance, in Fiscal Year 2024, CMS providers engaged over 180,000 community members through various events and conducted nearly 9,000 de-escalations (Source: https://youtu.be/4MIahdeVaNw&t=11737). Additionally, the case load statistics reveal that providers connected weekly with approximately 1,600 high-risk young adults, focusing on preventing gun violence (Source: https://youtu.be/4MIahdeVaNw&t=16596).
Another key discussion point was the integration of data from multiple sources, including the NYPD, to inform the CMS operations. This collaboration aims to provide a comprehensive view of the violence trends and the effectiveness of the intervention strategies employed by CMS groups (Source: https://youtu.be/4MIahdeVaNw&t=14425). Council members urged for continuous monitoring and analysis of real-time data, which would allow for timely adjustments to strategies based on emerging community needs (Source: https://youtu.be/4MIahdeVaNw&t=1032).
Despite the current metrics in place, several council members expressed skepticism regarding their sufficiency in capturing the full impact of CMS programs. They echoed a call for a cohesive strategy that aligns the various services offered by CMS providers, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to maximize the effectiveness of violence intervention efforts. The hearing also noted the potential gap in service coordination, highlighting that effective violence prevention requires a unified approach across different community service sectors (Source: https://youtu.be/4MIahdeVaNw&t=14338).
As discussions continue, the council’s attention remains focused on ensuring that resources allocated to CMS programs translate into measurable decreases in gang and gun violence, ultimately fostering safer environments for New York City’s youth.
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