Polk County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved funding for a program deemed critical to helping keep Des Moines neighborhoods safe.
Board members voted Tuesday, Nov. 18 to give $200,000 to Creative Visions’ violence interruption program, which since 2021 has sought to reduce gun violence and improve public safety in the city’s north side neighborhoods. The program largely funded by the City of Des Moines was among the services on the chopping block as city officials faced a $17 million budget shortfall in April.
“Polk County is proud to invest in this innovative violence interruption program, which has shown effectiveness through a dramatic decrease in gun violence within our community,” board chair Matt McCoy said in a news release after the meeting. “Our partners, including Drake University and several Des Moines high schools, have observed its role in making our schools safer and our neighborhoods by preventing gun violence before it occurs.”
During the meeting, Creative Visions founder Ako Abdul-Samad thanked board members for their contributions and support.
“Without you, we couldn’t have made the next steps this next year to continue work that we’ve been able to do,” Abdul-Samad said. “Your commitment to the safety of Polk County — your commitment, your vision is necessary.”
Community members — or “violence interrupters” as they’re known at Creative Visions — work to prevent, mediate and de-escalate conflicts among at-risk teens and young adults. The VIP team fosters relationships with youth, offering them resources, including a safe space and a listening ear.
Creative Visions launched VIP in December 2021 after City Council members moved forward with an initiative to reduce gun violence on the city’s north side, using the Cure Violence model as a guide.
The VIP team monitors four target zones — areas identified by Des Moines police that have high crime rates — mostly impacting the Drake and Evelyn K. Davis Park neighborhoods, as well as parts of River Bend and Mondamin Presidential.
Beyond that, the team has hosted community events for children and teens. They visit the Juvenile Detention Center and work with youth who are looking to return home and to their communities. They also deliver meals to residents in need in areas most prone to violent crimes and recruit “inroads,” residents who share tips or information with VIP.
Des Moines had funded about half of the program’s $650,000 annual cost before it pulled support this year. It’s unclear whether Creative Visions has reduced its program capacity or has fundraised additional money to make up the gap between Polk County’s new funding and what it had been getting from the city.
F. Amanda Tugade covers community and faith for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on X @writefelissa.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: After budget cuts, Creative Visions violence interruption program continues with new funds
Reporting by F. Amanda Tugade, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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