An Ill-informed Decision
This office was created to partner with community-based organizations working to reduce violent incidents by providing grants and other resources to community violence prevention agencies.
Recently, the Michigan State House passed a budget eliminating funding for the State’s Office of Community Violence Intervention Services (OCVIS). This decision has triggered widespread concern among community leaders, advocates, and citizens alike. As youth violence and firearm-related incidents continue to have detrimental effects across the State of Michigan, withdrawing financial support from vital intervention programs seems counterintuitive and detrimental to public safety efforts.
The Importance of Community Violence Intervention Services
Since its inception in 2024, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Office of Community Violence Intervention Services (OCVIS), led by Director Jennifer DeLaCruz, has played an increasingly important role in combating youth violence and firearm-related injuries across Michigan. The community violence intervention programs the office funds are designed to address the systemic roots of violence through strategic initiatives that involve community engagement, education, and the establishment of safe environments for at-risk youth and families. Programs like these not only prevent immediate acts of violence but also foster long-term peace and stability, essential for community building.
In addition, OCVI services have been instrumental in bridging the gap between law enforcement and communities, promoting trust and collaboration that are essential to creating more secure neighborhoods. Evidence from the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center indicates that intervention efforts can significantly reduce violence rates and re-establish healthier community dynamic.
Why the Decision is Problematic
The decision to discontinue funding jeopardizes the enormous amount of time and energy and that Michigan has invested in developing relationships with community members and stakeholders across the state. In addition, it risks undoing the positive changes the OCVIS is making through community intervention programs. Without dedicated resources, these programs will almost certainly fail, leaving communities vulnerable and unprotected against recurring cycles of violence.
Restoring Funding: A Necessary Action
Restoring funding for Community Violence Intervention Services should be a priority for the Michigan State House. The return on investment is evident in the form of healthier communities, enhanced public safety, and reduced violence-related expenditures on healthcare and law enforcement. Funding these services denotes a dedication to confronting systemic issues holistically rather than focusing on reactive approaches.
“How can you allow structural and systemic injustice to persist in
our environments—robbing us of our peers, exposing us to trauma,
isolating us in fiscally deprived communities—and then suggest
that interpersonal violence is a problem catalyzed by youths?”
Further, the reinstatement of financial support would signal an acknowledgment of the importance of these programs in fostering positive community relationships and ensuring a brighter future for Michigan’s youth. Restoring funding would reaffirm the state’s commitment to harnessing innovative strategies that equip communities with the necessary tools to succeed.
A Safer Michigan for Everyone
The decision to halt funding for Michigan’s Community Violence Intervention Services is a step backward, undermining efforts to create safe and resilient communities.
I am happy to speak with any of our State Legislators who are interested in learning more about the value the Office of Community Violence Intervention Services brings to residents of the State of Michigan.
Funding restoration must be urgently addressed to continue the upward trajectory towards lasting peace and prosperity for all Michiganders. The importance of community-based intervention is too significant to overlook; sustained support is imperative to nurturing thriving, peaceful neighborhoods.