Mission
The Civic Coalition to Save Lives unites community leaders, organizations, and resources to drive down gun violence in Philadelphia. Through focused intervention we connect efforts, foster collaboration, and share effective strategies to build a safer future for every neighborhood.
The Power of Intervention: Immediate Impact for Safer Communities
Gun violence intervention programs combine science and humanity to create environments of trust, credibility, and change. These data-driven, targeted approaches focus on individuals most at risk of involvement in violence. Once identified, trust-building begins through intensive case management, offering trauma-informed care, safe housing, job training, and other critical services when needed.
Prevention
Investment Results:
5-10 Years
Intervention
Investment Results:
1-3 Years
Transformation
Investment Results:
15-20 Years
While prevention and transformation efforts focus on long-term crime reduction, intervention delivers more immediate results—typically within 12-36 months. It provides complementary support to individuals, using a flexible, coordinated approach through relationships and a strong network of care. The cumulative impact of intervention programs includes:
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Reduction in Shootings and Homicides
By mediating conflicts and providing support, intervention programs help individuals break the cycle of violence, reducing shootings and homicides.
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Increased Trust
Successful interventions build trust between communities and law enforcement, improving safety and cooperation.
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Preventing Retaliation
Addressing conflicts early helps prevent retaliatory violence, which often fuels ongoing cycles of gun violence.
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Diversion and Support
Intervention programs offer education, job training, and social services to steer individuals away from criminal activities.
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Community Empowerment
These programs engage communities in reducing gun violence, fostering resilience and collective action.
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Critical Care and Community Engagement
Hospital-based programs disrupt the cycle of violence by connecting victims with support services and conflict resolution, preventing retaliation and further violence.
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Reducing Rehospitalization
Addressing the social and psychological factors contributing to violence helps reduce the risk of re-injury.
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Collaborative Support Networks
Working with community organizations, intervention programs create ongoing support for individuals after hospital discharge.
Our Beginnings: A Unified Response to Gun Violence
Amid rising homicides and shootings, a group of Philadelphia’s civic, business, and nonprofit leaders united in 2021 to help build more effective strategies for reducing violence. The Coalition emerged from a shared commitment to harness the collective resources of government, business, healthcare, and nonprofits for citywide impact.
Through extensive research and collaboration with national experts, the Coalition’s founders determined that:
- Focusing on the city’s most at-risk populations—those most likely to be involved in gun violence—yields significant, lasting results.
- Targeted, community-centered interventions like outreach, data-driven policing, and trauma-informed care are proven to reduce gun violence.
- Connecting efforts across all sectors strengthens the effectiveness of intervention programs citywide.
While many community-based organizations and city programs are already conducting vital work on the ground, the Coalition’s aim is to help strengthen these initiatives by fostering new partnerships, sharing vital data, and developing a collaborative infrastructure to sustain progress.
Philadelphia’s continued progress in reducing gun violence depends on our collective commitment, and the Coalition remains unwavering in bringing every resource to support the Parker Administration’s vision of a safer city.
The Coalition’s commitment to our shared mission remains steadfast until every corner of Philadelphia is safe and free from the threat of gun violence.
