Detroit’s ShotStoppers violence intervention program pays for outcomes—and it works
Six community-based organizations helped to reduce homicides and shootings by 37% to 83% in their focus zones—almost double the reduction elsewhere in the city
Commentary by James Donatell
Out of both frustration and hope, I boarded a plane to Detroit on December 12. I’d heard of Detroit's extraordinary recent success in reducing violence. I wanted to find out how they did it.
Detroit’s groundbreaking ShotStoppers program is a first-of-its-kind, performance-based violence prevention initiative. It reduced homicides and shootings by an average of 59% in the program’s focus zones compared to the prior two years. That’s nearly twice the 35% reduction in homicides and shootings than the city at large. They achieved this with $10 million of seed funding made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act to run the program through the summer of 2025.
What stands out about Detroit’s ShotStoppers program is its rigorous focus on measurable outcomes, holding programs accountable for reducing crime in the city’s most dangerous areas. If the program’s partners deliver results, they are rewarded with greater funding. And if they don’t get results, their funding is discontinued. That disciplined commitment to performance is working. And it’s unusual.
In comparison, the City of Oakland spends $25M per year on a variety of violence prevention initiatives intended to reduce gun violence and enhance public safety. But they don’t operate the way Detroit’s ShotStoppers program does. Based on a review of records from Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention (DVP), there is no indication that these programs operate on a performance-based funding model.
This gap presents an opportunity for Oakland to enhance its violence prevention efforts by adopting performance-based models. Such an approach could optimize the use of limited resources, ensure transparency in program expenditures, and foster trust among residents by demonstrating a clear return on investment in public safety initiatives.
And there is no time to lose. The City of Oakland is struggling with multiple crises: a $120M budget deficit that has forced a 25% cut in already-depleted police and fire services, nation-leading crime rates including 81 homicides and 339 non-fatal shootings last year, a spiking murder rate so far this year, robberies and burglaries that are chasing away business, and a level of homelessness that is harming the unhoused and residents alike.
In my 20 years in Oakland, I have never experienced anything like the current state of the city. I and my fellow residents are palpably frustrated.
We want transparency, accountability, and clear evidence that the programs funded by our tax dollars are making a real impact. Like so many others, I want Oakland to be a city where families feel safe, where every dollar is spent wisely, and where innovative solutions are embraced to address our most pressing issues.
Detroit’s journey is one of resilience
In 2013, the City of Detroit declared bankruptcy, the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Yet, just months later, a new mayor, Mike Duggan, took office with a clear focus on rebuilding public safety. He aligned city leadership, police, and prosecutors around a shared goal: reducing violent crime. Their strategy included increasing the number of sworn officers, implementing cutting-edge technologies like ShotSpotter and Flock License Plate Readers, and launching the ShotStoppers program, which targets gun violence in six high-crime zones.
The ShotStoppers program intrigued me because it is a partnership between the city and with community organizations that builds accountability and incentivizes performance for results. Here’s how it works:
The city identified six zones with the highest rates of homicides and non-fatal shootings.
After issuing an RFP in which 25 organizations applied, Detroit awarded contracts to six community-based organizations, each receiving $175,000 in initial funding to establish their programs.
Each organization is assigned to one of the zones.
Performance is measured using a straightforward CVI Score (homicides multiplied by two, plus non-fatal shootings). To earn continued funding, groups must reduce their CVI Score compared to the same period the previous year and outperform non-CVI zones by at least 10 percentage points. Groups meeting the threshold earn bonuses of $87,500 or $175,000, depending on the level of improvement.
The results have been nothing short of remarkable. During my visit, I learned that from August through October 2024, outside of the ShotStoppers Community Violence Intervention (CVI) zones, Detroit saw a citywide average drop in shootings and homicides of 35% compared to the same time frame during the two prior years. The drop was even larger inside the respective ShotStoppers zones—the outcomes ranged from a 37% to 83% reduction, with an average reduction of 59%.
CVI Organization Reduction in CVI Score, August-October Change:
Non-CVI Zones - 35%
New Era - 37%
Detroit 300 - 47%
Force Detroit - 52%
Wayne Metro/Denby Alliance/Camp Restore - 61%
Detroit People’s Community -73%
Detroit Friends & Family - 83%
Detroit’s recipe for success
Hearing from Detroit’s program manager and visiting two of the CVI groups, I was struck by their commitment to measurable outcomes and the collaboration across city agencies, the police, and community organizations. This wasn’t just a "program"—it was a partnership driven by accountability and results.
A common theme that emerged throughout my conversations was the significant benefit of both the initial seed funding as well as the potential for performance-based incentives. Community organizations receive ongoing funding contingent upon meeting specific violence reduction targets, with financial incentives tied directly to their performance. This funding enabled them to expand their team and focus wholeheartedly on delivering impactful results—saving lives and transforming their community.
It is worth noting that the ShotStoppers program is not achieving these results alone. No one program is a panacea for stopping crime. The CVI groups in Detroit work with Detroit police and their Ceasefire program to support desired outcomes.
And Detroit’s parallel investment in police is also exceptional. Detroit has 2,500 sworn officers for a city of 630,000 people, which is a ratio of 1 officer per 253 residents. Oakland has only 680 sworn officers for a city of 430,000 people—a ratio of 1 officer per 642 residents.
Private investment in Detroit also grew significantly beginning in 2014. Dan Gilbert, Co-Founder of Rocket Companies, and his affiliates, invested $5.6 billion, which supported economic redevelopment and tax revenue growth for Detroit.
It’s far cheaper to stop a killing than to prosecute one
Besides the immeasurable value of saving a life, I was also struck by the tangible cost saving potential. A program like Detroit's ShotStopper could be a self-funding initiative.
According to an analysis by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR), each homicide costs the city, county and state approximately $1.6 million, while a non-fatal injury shooting costs about $1.1 million.
By significantly reducing shootings and killings, a successful program can yield substantial savings for cities like Oakland. For example, if a performance-based violence prevention program reduces homicides and shootings by 20%, the avoided costs would be enough to offset program expenses, creating a cycle of reinvestment and sustainability.
Applying Detroit’s lessons to Oakland
Here’s how we could adapt Detroit’s model:
Target High-Crime Zones: Identify Oakland’s hotspots for homicides and non-fatal shootings.
Engage the Community: Issue RFPs to local organizations with strong community ties.
Tie Funding to Performance: Establish clear metrics for success and provide incentives for measurable crime reductions.
Collaborate Across Agencies: Align city leadership, police, and community groups around shared goals.
Measure and Report Success: Build trust by providing regular, transparent updates on program outcomes and implement a performance-based funding approach.
Oakland needs to continue to invest in violence prevention and deserves solutions that work. We need to invest in what’s proven, hold everyone accountable, and focus every dollar on making our neighborhoods safer. Detroit’s ShotStoppers program shows us that it’s possible to achieve real change with the right strategy.
I left Detroit feeling hope for Oakland. I was inspired by the City of Detroit’s innovative, performance-based violence prevention program and by the community groups’ remarkable achievements, not only in reducing homicides and non-fatal shootings, but also how they have given young people who have been touched by violence an opportunity to now be part of the solution—fostering mentorship and personal growth in ways that were truly transformational.
It was a powerful reminder that change is possible when accountability and collaboration take center stage.
Tags: Commentary, Policing, Violence Prevention, Public Safety