Community Safety Dashboard
 

by Samantha Toet and Michele Claibourn, the Center for Community Partnerships

 

For in-depth information, please view "The State of Gun Violence in Charlottesville & Albemarle"

Problem:

The challenge is to improve community safety in Charlottesville City and Albemarle County, specifically addressing the issues of gun violence, school absenteeism, and the engagement of youth in preventive and intervention programs. The problem is exacerbated by the need for better coordination among community members, service providers, schools, and law enforcement, as well as the necessity to leverage existing resources and services to make a meaningful impact.

Inputs:

1. Creation of Protective Community Environments:
   • Coordination of crisis response teams like HART and ANCHOR.
   • Training law enforcement in Crisis Intervention Techniques (CIT) and ICAT.
   • Collaboration through Project Safe Neighborhoods to address violent crime.
2. Enhancing Place-Based Programming and Access to Care:
   • Support for community engagement events that positively impact persons who are adjacent to gun violence adjacent.
   • Educational programming in neighborhoods affected by gun violence.
   • Initiatives like the Youth Council program to empower youth in decision-making.
3. Improving Coordination and Information Flow:
   • Collaboration among local agencies for data sharing and analysis to inform evidence-based solutions.
   • Development of a regional Inclusive Community Profile to address issues contributing to gun violence.
4. Connecting Youth to Caring Adults and Activities:
   • Implementation of youth-centered prevention and intervention programming, including internships and mentoring.

Outputs:

1. Reduction in Violent Crime Rates:
   • Measured by the number of deaths and injuries from gun violence in Charlottesville City and Albemarle County.
2. Improvement in School Attendance:
   • Reduction in chronic absenteeism rates in schools within the region.

Outcomes:

1. Safer Communities:
   • A significant decrease in gun violence, leading to fewer deaths and injuries in Charlottesville City and Albemarle County.
2. Improved Educational Outcomes:
   • Decreased rates of chronic absenteeism, contributing to better academic performance and overall youth well-being.
3. Sustained Collaboration and Resource Utilization:
   • Ongoing partnerships between local governments, community organizations, and UVA that continuously improve community safety and well-being.

Key Community Safety Metrics

1. Number of injuries from gun violence, in Charlottesville City and Albemarle County. 

   • In 2020, the rate of firearm injuries peaked at 8.3, with 29 firearm injuries among 34,875 emergency department visits. However, 2020 also had the lowest number of emergency department visits which aligns with national trends of decreased emergency department use during the COVID-19 pandemic. After falling in 2021, the firearm injury rate began trending upward (Toet and Claibourn, 2024).

2. Number of deaths from gun violence in the Blue Ridge Health District.

   • The rate of firearm death is highest for individuals aged 18 and 19 years old, with a rate of 18.3 based on 8 confirmed firearm-related deaths between 2018 and 2022 in the Blue Ridge Health District. A rate of 18.3 means that for every 100,000 people aged 18-19, 18 individuals would have lost their lives to gun violence. While there are fewer than 100,000 residents aged 18-19, the rate helps compare risk of gun-related deaths across age ranges. The rate above 14 per 100k individuals for all ages between 18 and 44 years old. The age group with the second-highest percentage of gun-related deaths are individuals above the age of 75, with 16 deaths per 100,000 people. Given that suicide is the number one cause of firearm-related death in our region, we assume that a majority of the deaths for individuals 75 and older were suicide (Toet and Claibourn, 2024).

3. Rate of chronic absenteeism in Charlottesville City and Albemarle County schools.

   • Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of more days of school. This amounts to 18 or more days, based in current 180 day calendars. The student body at Charlottesville High School has a chronic absenteeism rate of nearly 40% during the 2023-2024 school year.

2024 Recommendation Implementation Progress

Legend

Community Safety Implementation Progress

Recommendation Winter 2024 Stage Time Period Launch public awareness campaigns I Short Engage in purposeful knowledge dissemination I  Short Offer support and Community-Engaged coursework C Ongoing Partner for a community safety clinic E Short Leverage the Project Safe Neighborhoods I  Short Crisis Response Teams C Ongoing Post-Incidence Crisis Response I Short Support community-based initiatives focused on mental health C Ongoing Formalize structures to request UVA in-kind support I Short Establish a Parent Peer Support Network E Short Support Central Virginia Clinicians of Color Network (CVCCN) to create a Men's Initiative E Short Support implementation of a mental health stigma reduction campaign C Ongoing Partner with Charlottesville Area Network Dedicated to Youth Development (CANDYD) to provide training to staff I Short Regular community focus groups and town hall meetings E Short Youth Opportunities Website C Ongoing Caregiver support networks E Short Cross-jurisdictional law enforcement meetings C Ongoing Community Safety Data Scientist C Ongoing Community Resource App I Medium Community Resource Map I Medium Community Mentorship Program E Short Trauma-informed and research-based mentorship training I Short Explore violence interrupter models I Short Expand school mentoring and tutoring programs I Short Comprehensive care coordination program I Short One-stop shop C Ongoing Engage youth in opportunities that foster belonging and support I Short Invest in youth well-being I Short Research-based school program for self-regulation/ conflict resolution I Short Explore ways to bolster two-way home/school communications I Short

 

Community Safety Implementation Group Quarterly Update - April 2025

Accomplishments:

• In January 2025, the implementation group held a Project Safe Neighborhoods press conference in our community to re-introduce residents to the initiative and underscore the pillars of prevention and intervention.
• The group continues to explore collaborations with the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition, via aligned communications and community events.
• In January 2025, the implementation group held its initial quarterly community dialogue designed to hear from citizens about their concerns and connect with one another on how we can keep our community safe.
• The Charlottesville Albemarle Youth Opportunity site continues to be updated with summer resources, opportunities, and experiences for youth in the area.
• In April 2025, the implementation group held a virtual quarterly community dialogue to engage Charlottesville and Albemarle County residents with data on the impact of gun violence and youth and family funding in the region. Watch the video for a summary of what the group discussed:

 

 

Ongoing initiatives 

• The President’s Council communications committee will be working on communications regarding progress of the implementation group, as well as public awareness campaigns and educational materials on community safety.
• A form and process is being finalized by the Center for Community Partnerships team for community members and organizations to request UVA in-kind support.
• Continued work on the community resource app will commence this upcoming spring.
• Dr. Sherica Jones-Lewis continues to support reentry efforts via research and strategic planning, in collaboration with One Stop Shop and Equal Justice USA.

Upcoming milestones 

• Call-In Meetings begin in the coming months. 
• Continued collaboration and meetings of the three jurisdictions to move recommendations forward 
• Quarterly community dialogues in April will take place at various locations and times in efforts to best serve community residents.