would promote earlier intervention with individuals with an increased risk of victimization, as well as foster a larger network of individually tailored violence prevention efforts. Community Action Combat attitudes of violence as normative behavior and an appropriate form of conflict resolution. The normalization of violence exists within Pittsburgh families and communities, and overall, supports a cycle of violence. Increase initiatives that combat such attitudes; promote positive behavior modeling for children, youth, and young adults; and teach and encourage appropriate conflict resolution strategies. Improve and strengthen community-police relations. Poor community-police relations negatively impact and undermine violence prevention efforts. Increased trust, respect, and accountability between both groups is essential in order to work toward creating safe communities. Distribute anti-violence and homicide awareness, education, and prevention materials throughout Pittsburgh. Homicide and community violence information should be distributed throughout communities, local government and county agencies, and local media. Through increasing awareness and knowledge of homicide prevalence, greater attention and discussion can take place around the urgency for more effective prevention efforts. Increase community participation and investment in violence prevention efforts. Numerous community organizations, groups, and coalitions are already providing anti-violence awareness, education, and prevention throughout Allegheny County. Local governmental agencies, academic institutions, and community assets (e.g., barbershops and beauty salons, religious institutions, funeral homes) should support these existing efforts, so that a broad coalition to confront the violence problem impacting our communities can be created. Community Recommendations Enhance data collection efforts. Toxicology reports conducted by the medical examiner’s office, victim’s social media presence, and prior residence information, as well as information on surviving children and other family members, would allow for an improved review of homicides. Additionally, data collection efforts should be expanded to better account for the unique factors involved in intimate partner homicides, such as history of abuse, including Protection from Abuse (PFA) filings and prior police-involved incidents; history of substance abuse; weapons in the home; use of community resources; and
would promote earlier intervention with individuals with an increased risk of victimization, as well as foster a larger network of individually tailored violence prevention efforts. Community Action Combat attitudes of violence as normative behavior and an appropriate form of conflict resolution. The normalization of violence exists within Pittsburgh families and communities, and overall, supports a cycle of violence. Increase initiatives that combat such attitudes; promote positive behavior modeling for children, youth, and young adults; and teach and encourage appropriate conflict resolution strategies. Improve and strengthen community-police relations. Poor community-police relations negatively impact and undermine violence prevention efforts. Increased trust, respect, and accountability between both groups is essential in order to work toward creating safe communities. Distribute anti-violence and homicide awareness, education, and prevention materials throughout Pittsburgh. Homicide and community violence information should be distributed throughout communities, local government and county agencies, and local media. Through increasing awareness and knowledge of homicide prevalence, greater attention and discussion can take place around the urgency for more effective prevention efforts. Increase community participation and investment in violence prevention efforts. Numerous community organizations, groups, and coalitions are already providing anti-violence awareness, education, and prevention throughout Allegheny County. Local governmental agencies, academic institutions, and community assets (e.g., barbershops and beauty salons, religious institutions, funeral homes) should support these existing efforts, so that a broad coalition to confront the violence problem impacting our communities can be created. Community Recommendations Enhance data collection efforts. Toxicology reports conducted by the medical examiner’s office, victim’s social media presence, and prior residence information, as well as information on surviving children and other family members, would allow for an improved review of homicides. Additionally, data collection efforts should be expanded to better account for the unique factors involved in intimate partner homicides, such as history of abuse, including Protection from Abuse (PFA) filings and prior police-involved incidents; history of substance abuse; weapons in the home; use of community resources; and
Final%202015%20HR%20Report.docx