LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Council members Mark Fox and Anthony Piagentini criticized the mayor's office Monday for "not properly executing" Group violence intervention (GVI).
The Republican and Democrat councilmen pointed to Louisville's homicide numbers as proof of the program's improper implementation.
While shootings are down 33% from this time last year and homicides are down 6%, the city is still seeing a drastic increase from the previous norm.
"From 1980 to 2014 this city averaged just over 54 homicides a year. Since 2014 that average has more than doubled," Joshua Crawford said.
Crawford is on the Governance Committee for the GVI program in Louisville. In other cities, this reduced violent crimes by up to 73%.
But, that hasn't been the case for Louisville since the program got its start in 2020.
"I want to look and make sure all the parties involved are doing what the book says," Fox, who represents District 13, said.
As host of the Public Safety Committee, he plans to invite leaders from GVI to speak to the council and provide an update, as they've done once before. Fox said that would provide the information they've requested but have not received from the mayor's office.
To address claims of effectiveness now, WHAS11 News spoke with Paul Smith with the National Network of Safe Cities. Smith helped bring GVI to Louisville and is on their weekly meetings. He said the program has been a success and homicide numbers are not the only metric to use.
"Prove it," Piagentini said. "Show us the data. We have asked for reporting, and we've asked for the implementation plan. None of it has been provided to the mayor's office."
In response, the mayor's communications director Jessica Wethington shared a statement saying, "GVI is one part of the city’s “whole-of-government” approach to public safety, and it’s important to note that GVI focuses solely on homicides and shootings that are group involved. Currently, we suspect 39 homicides were group related."
Wethington went on to say GVI made 226 direct contacts with people who drive violence, or victims likely to retaliate. They've also responded to 35 victims of violence, connecting them with resources.
Crawford offered additional balance. He said GVI has been successful, but there have been roadblocks.
Most notably, Crawford said GVI in Louisville is limited in its ability to require GVI as a probation condition. The decision fell on the Kentucky Department of Corrections.
DOC Deputy Commissioner Lisa Lamb said, "Federal and state law prohibit Probation and Parole from requiring attendance at GVI call-ins unless ordered by a judge as a condition of supervision. However, Probation and Parole officers actively encourage clients to attend GVI meetings."
Lamb also noted a probation and parole office held a recent "call-in" event for GVI and the department has been an active member of the program since 2020.
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