KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A controversial local violence prevention group was awarded a $1 million grant from the United States Department of Justice and It’s one of only six granted nationwide.
Aim4Peace is the group benefiting from the grant and uses a conflict-resolution model to curb violent crime by responding on scene or to hospitals to prevent retaliation after a crime. They also do one-on-one interventions with high risk youth.
The group says retaliation is the cause of at least half of the murders in the urban core. City council member Jermaine Reed represents the east side says Aim 4 Peace is the only group to receive City money.
Reed said this is the first year since 2006 that homicide numbers have shown a decrease in the area the group works in.
Archer said the USDOJ wouldn’t have awarded the grant if it’s method wasn’t providing results.