BALTIMORE, MD (June 29, 2016)– Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen joined senior Justice Department officials, police chiefs, school leaders and youth from more than 30 cities to discuss Baltimore’s strategy for reducing youth violence during the Fifth National Summit on Preventing Youth Violence. 

Under Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s direction, Dr Wen is leading a city-wide effort to address violence and public safety through the lens of public health, recognizing that violence is a generational challenge impacted by the social determinants that shape people’s lives.

“The science is clear: violence is undeniably a public health issue,” said Dr. Wen. “Like other public health crises, we can prevent violence by identifying risk factors, treating it as a disease, and preventing violence before it starts. That’s powerful, and it’s cause for hope.”

In Baltimore, public health approaches, such as violence interruption and prevention, have proven effective. For example, in 2015, the Safe Streets program – an initiative lead by the Baltimore City Health Department to interrupt violence in communities – mediated nearly 700 conflicts, approximately 80 percent of which were deemed “likely” or “very likely” to result in gun violence.

The summit, held in Baltimore from June 27-29, is presented by the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention and the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Task Force.

The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention is network of communities and federal agencies that work together and build local capacity to prevent and reduce youth violence that was established at the direction of President Obama in 2010. Baltimore is one of 15 cities participating in the Forum.

President Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper initiative in February of 2014 to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.

“Youth violence is preventable, not inevitable,” said Dr. Wen. “By focusing on innovative, evidence-based interventions, we can cure our communities of violence and ensure our young people have the opportunity to succeed as healthy, thriving members of society.”