The Erie County Probation Department is sending a message that Black lives matter and that gun violence must end. As part of the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) program, two veteran probation officers are making home visits to identified gang members and their families. The visits reinforce the idea that too many African American youth are dying in gun related crimes and provides alternatives as well as consequences to the probationer.

GIVE is a New York State crime fighting program that assists 17 counties statewide. The initiative is based on the concept of problem oriented policing and is also built on the success of Boston’s Operation Ceasefire program.

Extensive research in other cities (Braga, Pierce, McDevitt, Bond, & Cronin 2008) indicates that approximately 60% of youth homicides are committed by less than 1% of the population. Surprisingly 50% of these offenders, as well as many victims, were under probation or parole supervision at the time of the crime.

The probation department utilized the Erie County Crime Analysis Center (ECAC) to identify gang members active on probation and to map areas of high crime areas. Probation Officers have utilized the data to make strategic decisions relating to the research.

Over the past two months twenty-five probationers’ with gang ties have been visited by the probation officers under the GIVE program.  Most families have been open to the message officers have been bringing; one that values life, provides assistance, and holds offenders accountable.