RESOLUTION NO. 260185

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Sponsor: Councilperson Melissa Patterson Hazley

RESOLUTION - Honoring the Aim4Peace Violence Prevention Program for eighteen years of service, life-saving impact, and commitment to community-based public health safety in Kansas City, Missouri.

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WHEREAS, for eighteen years, the Aim4Peace Violence Prevention Program within the Kansas City Health Department has served as a cornerstone of community-based violence prevention in neighborhoods most impacted by violence; and

WHEREAS, Aim4Peace is grounded in the belief that violence is a preventable public health issue and advances safety through trusted relationships, timely intervention, and sustained community engagement; and

WHEREAS, Aim4Peace employs evidence-based strategies including street outreach, conflict mediation, hospital-based response, youth violence prevention, and intensive case management to interrupt cycles of violence and promote healing; and

WHEREAS, 2025 outcomes compared to the 2024 baseline reflect a 47 percent reduction in homicides across long-term service areas, 59 fewer violent incidents, and more than a 12 percent overall reduction in violence, including a 42 percent reduction in Oak Park, 75 percent in Santa Fe, and 33 percent in Blue Hills, with 496 consecutive days without a homicide in Santa Fe; and

WHEREAS, in 2025, Aim4Peace conducted over 50 conflict mediations, logged more than 1,000 hours of community canvassing, provided over 450 hospital-based responses with an 80 percent response rate within 24-48 hours, launched a Traumatic Injury Wound Clinic with University Health, and served more than 124 youth through school- and community-based prevention initiatives; and

WHEREAS, Aim4Peace outreach workers and violence interrupters, many deeply rooted in the communities they serve, demonstrate courage, accountability, and compassion by engaging individuals at the highest risk and supporting safer choices; NOW, TH...

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