Dr. Paul Elam, Chief Strategy Officer, was recently interviewed for a story on WILX. The story discussed reported reductions in gun violence in the cities of Lansing and Jackson. WILX linked the decrease to crime reduction organizations, such as MPHI’s Advance Peace Initiative.

Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane shared that Lansing and Jackson have seen a 50% decrease in fatal shootings, according to new crime data. A 47% decrease in fatal shootings and a 4% decrease in non-fatal shootings were reported in Lansing alone.

“Gun violence in Lansing was at an unacceptable level two years ago, and so I think the message was being sent to our community that we have to stop this, and how are we going to do that?” said Dewane.

The work of the Advance Peace Lansing initiative has been promising. Fatal and non-fatal shootings were down in southwest Lansing, the primary focus of the fellowship, and citywide. Advance Peace works to identify and recruit individuals involved in retaliatory and cyclical gun violence as Peacemaker Fellows, connecting them with trained Neighborhood Change Agents, who serve as mentors and help them transition to a more peaceful life.

“We pride ourselves in working with fellows who listen, and now their attitudes are changing, and their beliefs are changing, and our hope is that their behaviors will start changing as well. And that’s what we’re seeing when you look at those numbers,” said Dr. Elam.

Advance Peace is committed to ending gun violence and promoting safety for Lansing and Ingham County communities. The organization recently announced expansions into further Lansing communities and the city of East Lansing to increase the reach of the program.

“We should allow our communities to create safe spaces where all citizens and residents can enjoy what we have here in Lansing,” Dr. Elam said. “And that’s what this work is really about. So that is the big picture.”

For more information, visit:
Lansing and Jackson report a reduction in gun violence (wilx.com)
Advance Peace Lansing/Ingham – Working to end Gun Violence and Heal Communities (advancepeacelansingingham.org)