The Peacekeepers Program

Since its inception in 2018, the Flatlining Violence Inspires Peace (FLIP) strategy—now known as the Peacekeepers Program—seeks to advance the practice of street outreach and develop a diverse and sustainable workforce. In partnership with local street outreach organizations, the Program typically deploys approximately 500 Peacekeepers throughout violence hotspots in targeted community areas most impacted by gun violence during the challenging summer months.

The project includes three related research objectives:

1. Supporting the data-informed implementation of the program.
2. Assessing the strengths and opportunities for improvement in the implementation of this multi-sight, multi-pronged intervention.
3. Determining the effect of the Program's approach on Peacekeepers and on reducing violence in implementation communities.  

The Peacekeepers Program has been operating year round since 2023 with support from the State of Illinois Department of Human Services Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.

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