Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • 'A model of sustainable commerce': carbon footprint, grid concerns push SoCal weed industry to be more green

    California-based cannabis company, Canndescent, has taken many steps toward low-carbon sustainability in its operations. The company uses commercial-scale solar energy, reverse-mounted ceiling fans, and microburst irrigation systems as a way of demonstrating “a model of sustainable commerce.” As legalizing cannabis grows in popularity, other states and cities are looking toward sustainable practices to off-set the high-energy needed for such growth.

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  • Gun Reform is on the Agenda. But Victims of Color Aren't.

    With gun reform being a key legislative topic, the majority of time, energy, and resources have focused on preventing mass shootings, which amount to just 2-3% of gun-related homicides. The rest affect majority communities of color, which policy, lobbying, and reform efforts have largely ignored. Even with local violence-reduction efforts like Oakland’s LIVE FREE focused deterrence or a Chicago school’s focus on cognitive behavioral therapy showing impact, the allotted resources at the federal level continue to pass them by.

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  • His Aunt Saw Red Flags. Police Say That May Have Prevented A Mass Shooting

    Connecticut has had Extreme Risk Protection Orders, or “red flag” laws, in effect since 1999. These laws allow citizens to provide tips to law enforcement if they suspect danger or violence, in which case law enforcement can then temporarily remove firearms from the suspects homes. While these have gained bipartisan popularity and have shown to decrease suicide attempts, proof of homicide or mass shooting preventions remains to be seen.

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  • Armed with trumpets, S. African men fight crime against women

    Volunteers patrol Soweto township streets, blowing vuvuzelas – the long, plastic trumpets of World Cup fame – to alert women that it is safe to commute to their train or bus stops. The male-led campaign is a response to high rates of street violence, much of it gender-based, and the failure of the police to respond effectively. Thousands of volunteers work in groups of up to 15 to provide the service, which police credit with lowering robberies and other street crime. The patrols often intervene when they witness violence.

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  • If violence spreads like a disease, it can be interrupted. How a new team in Milwaukee is trying to stop one shooting leading to another.

    Milwaukee’s 414LIFE program is treating violence like a public health issue, seeking to interrupt and prevent its spread. The pilot program is a collaboration between the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, local nonprofits, and hospitals and healthcare networks. The initiative works closely with victims of violence to make sure they have the support and resources they need to prevent violent retaliation and employs people who are from the communities they’re responding to in an effort to take a hyper-local response.

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  • Reducing Gun Violence

    Oakland’s Ceasefire initiative takes a collaborative, comprehensive approach to reducing gun violence. City officials, community advocates, residents, and law enforcement work together by prioritizing data analysis, multi-stakeholder gatherings, personalized social services, specialized police training, and weekly reviews of shootings and meeting with victims. While this approach has shown success, it was hard to get started and required the community to organize around demands to stop gun violence. As Philly grapples with similar issues, it looks to Oakland as a model for grassroots change.

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  • Fighting Gun Violence in Chicago, With Trees, Rakes, and Cleanup Crews

    Chicago is trying something new when it comes to violence prevention: beautifying public spaces that have been known to be places of violence. The city has launched an official pilot program called Grounds for Peace, which partners with READI Chicago to provide jobs within the initiative to at-risk men. While the effort to beautify has shown a decrease in gun violence in other cities, Chicago residents approach this with caution, as the neighborhoods its working within are often neglected.

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  • IMPD used to fatally shoot more people than NYC or Chicago. Here's what changed.

    Under new leadership, Indianapolis has seen a drastic decline in fatal police shootings. While the new police chief, Bryan Roach, shares credit with his entire force, many credit his new policies for the decline. Initiatives like addressing behavioral health, implicit bias training, and mental health crisis training are just some of the changes being made. While much progress has been made, there is still a ways to go when it comes to rebuilding trust within the community.

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  • Two Rural Counties Take Diverting Paths to Jail Reform

    Two southern Colorado counties responded differently when drug abuse, poverty, and mental illness contributed to overcrowding in their old, decrepit jails. Pueblo County's sheriff has gone to voters three times seeking approval of a near-doubling of his jail's capacity. Alamosa County's sheriff did the same, and succeeded in a renovation that nearly doubled capacity. But those extra cells turned out to be unnecessary because that county's criminal justice and community agencies collaborated on jail alternatives, significantly reducing how many people get jailed.

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  • The gun solution we're not talking about

    While most Americans and politicians from across the partisan aisle support universal background checks for firearm purchases, that system has shown to not be as effective as many think. Instead, states are implementing licensing systems that require individuals wanting to buy a gun to take safety courses, apply with local law enforcement, provide references, and have their background checked. States that have such systems in place have seen a steady decline in gun homicides and suicides.

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