In April 2007, Governor Deval Patrick issued Executive Order Number 482 to create a new Anti-Crime Council. This multi-agency, multi-disciplinary council was tasked with focusing on the challenges facing crime victims, social service providers and Massachusetts law enforcement organizations. As an outgrowth of the council's work, the Governor established an Urban Violence Subcommittee, co-chaired by Attorney General Martha Coakley and Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett, in order to examine the prevalence, causes and deterrence of violent behavior in our cities. Attorney General Coakley and District Attorney Blodgett gathered leaders with diverse perspectives about urban violence, including law enforcement, educators, business leaders, youth service agencies, and the clergy, to tackle the issue of urban violence.

Through its members, the subcommittee solicited input from experts in urban violence in order to provide both public and private sector leaders with the most up-to-date analysis of this difficult issue. The following report, "Urban Violence In the Commonwealth: Prevention, Intervention & Rehabilitation," is the culmination of the subcommittee's work over the past 14 months.

This report serves a dual purpose: (1) it brings to the forefront what those in the criminal justice field have known for decades - that prevention, intervention and rehabilitation are the cornerstones of a safe community; and (2) it serves as a resource for individual communities to discern what new strategies they may wish to implement for effective change. Included in this report are recommendations for reducing urban violence that take into account the research on comprehensive and successful violence prevention. Also included are some of the most up-to-date statistical information on violence trends, and a comprehensive list of programs and initiatives that the subcommittee members believe represents effective measures for combating urban violence.

Download and view a copy of this report: