02/16/2021
GVI is a partnership between law enforcement, outreach, social services and the faith community who mediate and interrupt violence from spreading. One of the ways GVI intervenes is through a “custom notification,” or an in-person meeting with a person identified as being most likely to cause or be victimized by group-related violence.
“The whole concept is: We want you to live, we want you stay out of prison, and we want to help you through this process,” explains Rev. Cornell Jones, part of the GVI support network. “It’s not just law enforcement—it’s a whole village concept. We’re all here playing a part with the common goal of saving lives.”
GVI’s focus is on providing wrap-around services to those who desire them so they have every opportunity to succeed. Services can include tattoo removal and job training.
GVI is in its fourth year in Pittsburgh, during which shootings and homicides have annually decreased. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police embraces GVI because of its emphasis on preventing crime before crime even occurs.
