The Save Lives Now! regional anti-violence initiative reached several milestones this summer as it gears up for a 2025 start date.
- In August, Brandon Sterling was hired by East-West Gateway Council of Governments as the director of Save Lives Now!
- The city of St. Louis further contracted with two national anti-violence technical assistance providers to advise Save Lives Now! regarding building the systems, training, and delivery needed to utilize focused deterrence and cognitive behavioral therapy regionwide.
- St. Louis County also formed its own Office of Violence Prevention in August, an office like the violence prevention office in the city of St. Louis.
The public is invited to learn more about these advancements and next steps at the next Save Lives Now! Advisory Council meeting on October 10 at 10 a.m. at St. Louis Artworks, 5959 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63112.
The advisory council, chaired by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page consists of 60 regional members representing elected leaders, law enforcement, service providers, community members, business leaders, civic groups, and more. For planning purposes, please email savelivesnow@ewgateway.org to let us know that you plan to attend.
Save Lives Now! aims to rapidly reduce shootings and homicides by 20% over a three-year through a balance of three regionally coordinated, evidenced-based anti-violence strategies: focused deterrence, cognitive behavioral therapy, and street outreach. These are evidence-based practices endorsed by federal, regional and local law enforcement agencies for their effectiveness. EWG and its regional partners are currently building capacity for the initiative through staffing and continued coordination with an expected start in early 2025.
Attendees at the Oct. 10 advisory council meeting will hear firsthand from Sterling, who began his director position with Save Lives Now! on September 3. Sterling most recently served as vice president of development with the United Way of Greater St. Louis and has relevant experience in project management, social service and public safety coordination, systems building, and fundraising. He previously served as the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council’s executive director and has consulted with local and national nonprofit providers.
“I’m excited to join Save Lives Now!” Sterling said. “This is a critical time for the initiative and its many stakeholders as we build strength and organize so we can get to work. In the next few months, the team will be working with our many partners to further coordinate systems and training so we can bring an intensive but balanced mix of focused deterrence, cognitive behavioral therapy, and street outreach methods to the neighborhoods and people most at risk for violence.”
At its October meeting, the council will also hear presentations from two national anti-violence practitioner organizations, National Network for Safe Communities and ROCA. National Network, based out of John Jay College in New York, will provide Save Lives Now! with technical assistance, training, and systems work to facilitate the delivery of focused deterrence through police and other partners in areas experiencing high rates of street violence. That work includes identifying individuals most at risk for violence and delivering key communication focusing on both the consequences of continuing dangerous behaviors and pathways to exit the crime cycle.
ROCA, based out of Boston, will assist Save Lives Now! with training, implementation and systems building to effectively deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy directly to those most at risk for violence or retaliation, be it on a street corner, in a community center, an apartment complex, or in a classroom or home.
“These are highly regarded national experts in the fields of street violence reduction that have been doing this work with great success in cities and metropolitan areas around the country,” said Jim Wild, executive director of East-West Gateway Council of Governments. “They are known for hitting the ground running in metropolitan areas that are invested and committed to fully implementing anti-violence methods. Our partners and providers will have the tools they need to successfully do the work that’s been laid out in the Save Lives Now! plan.”
The region continues to pull important groups together in support the Save Lives Now! initiative. St. Louis County announced the hiring of Tom Crees to head up its new office of violence prevention. Crees will work closely with the Save Lives Now initiative! His position is a counterpart to the St. Louis city office of violence prevention headed by Wilfred Pinkney, who continues to advice the Save Lives Now! initiative.
For more information www.ewgateway.org/save-lives-now or email: savelivesnow@ewgateway.org.