The Washtenaw County Community Violence Intervention Team (CVIT) has been working to educate ourselves, our community, our service providers, our police, and our municipal leaders on the nature of violence in our community and the solutions needed to save lives and end the perpetuation of intentional violent deaths (shooting, stabbing, assault) in our county. What began as a group of individuals concerned with violence became a cohesive team, singularly focused on eradicating street-level violence that results in death.
Why?
Our collaborative effort is grounded in the desire to learn together as a community and to publicly invest in this work, ensuring that we hold ourselves and each other accountable. By engaging across sectors, we aim to support professional development and identify ways to become more effective in our efforts.
Building strong networks—both locally and statewide—allows us to share knowledge, expand our reach, and invite more local partners and stakeholders to the CVIT table, fostering broader participation.
Through coordinated efforts, we can align existing initiatives, generate energy and momentum for collective action, and create a sense of cohesion. Sharing the great work already being done helps us celebrate progress, recognize limitations, and better understand our path forward.
Additionally, by disseminating relevant local and national data, we can make informed decisions and track our impact over time.
What?
1. Common Understanding Based in Fact: As a team, we initially read the book Bleeding Out, by Thomas Abt. Each week we would read a chapter, debrief, learn, and grow together. It spurred conversation, provided common language, focused on data-driven solutions, taught us the science behind gun violence, and illuminated the value of a balanced approach with accountability and empathy.
2. Lifting Community Voice: Each week we were able to learn from one another and place a particular focus on those in the room and in our community with lived experience. Simply put, those who perpetuated or who have been impacted by violence are the most important voices at the table.
3. Continuous Learning: We read about, watched, or met with leading experts from around the country. This allowed us to learn from those doing the work and making real impact.
4. Action Oriented: We did not meet just to meet. Each week, for 14-months and more recently every other week for the last two years, we came together with specific action steps in mind and left building piece-by-piece towards the ultimate goal of ending intentional violent death on our streets.
2025 Spring Summit
In 2025, the 3rd annual CVIT Spring Summit continued building momentum through collective reading, expert-led sessions, and powerful storytelling from those with lived experience. Attendees left with clear action steps tied to CVIT’s 14-point plan and a stronger, more unified commitment to preventing violence in Washtenaw County.
Community Violence Intervention Team 