Dan Isom, Endowed Professor of Policing and Community at UMSL, announces the St. Louis Initiative to Reduce Violence program during a news conference May 20 at UMSL. (Photo by August Jennewein)

With 24 years of experience in law enforcement, Dan Isom understands the problems facing St. Louis residents.

“During my tenure as police chief I saw the issues related to violence in our community, both for individuals, and for families and neighborhoods,” said Isom, Endowed Professor of Policing and Community at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “We know it is a problem in our community, so a selected group of people came together to focus on two areas. We know that the violence is going down … but we think these areas need some special treatment.”

The St. Louis Initiative to Reduce Violence was announced during a news conference Monday at UMSL. The conference, hosted by Isom and Richard Rosenfeld, Curators’ Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UMSL, outlined the pilot program, which will be implemented in St. Louis’ sixth police district and Jennings, Mo.

SIRV is a grassroots effort to increase community safety, engage youth to build trust and increase the quality of life for families and communities. The initiative was created by the Rev. B.T. Rice of New Horizon Christian Church in St. Louis County, and brings together both law enforcement and community leaders from St. Louis and St. Louis County.

Visit sirvstl.org for more information about the St. Louis Initiative to Reduce Violence.

Media coverage:
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