Division of Community Safety Policy and Engagement | Comprehensive Injury Center

Division of Violence Prevention Announces New Name

The mission of the Division of Violence Prevention in the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin has always been about advancing violence prevention policy and practice in Wisconsin and throughout the country. As of Jan. 1, 2024, we have changed our name to the Division of Community Safety Policy and Engagement. This new name more accurately reflects our work and approach to violence prevention through a public health lens. We are not only working to prevent violence, but we are also working upstream to build safer communities by ensuring communities have access to the resources they need to live their healthiest lives.

The prevention of intentional injury and violence is a public health priority for the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Firearm-related injury has been the leading cause of death in children in the U.S. and the third leading cause of death in the U.S. among 15-34 year-olds since 2020. We are committed to addressing disparities in violence victimization through strategic partnerships with local communities, government, and public health.

Mission

The mission of the Division of Community Safety Policy and Engagement in the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin is to advance public health solutions for the prevention of violence through strategies that promote health equity and community well-being.

Goals

Enhance capacity of local, state, and national partners to advance policy, research, and practice in the areas of community safety and violence prevention.
Increase knowledge regarding the impact of intentional injury and violence and strategies to address it.
Facilitate public and private investment to support public health approaches for community safety and violence prevention.

Programs

The Division of Community Safety Policy and Engagement is the home of several programs and initiatives including 414 LIFE and the Wisconsin Community Safety Fund (WCSF).

414LIFE

414 LIFE is a community violence intervention program focused on reducing conflict and retaliatory gun violence in the city of Milwaukee. A program of the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Community Wellness and Safety, the CIC Division of Community Safety has served as the program’s implementation partner since 2021. 414 LIFE also provides services to survivors of gun violence and their families at Froedtert, Ascension St. Joseph Hospital, and Advocate Aurora Sinai Hospital. This public health approach to breaking the cycle of violence was inspired by Goal 1 in Milwaukee’s Blueprint for Peace. This focuses on individuals and neighborhoods experiencing the highest rates of gun violence in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin Community Safety Fund

The WCSF was created to enhance community safety and individual well-being through the implementation of evidence-informed prevention strategies intended to reach those most directly impacted by violence in local Wisconsin communities. The State of Wisconsin partnered with the Medical College of Wisconsin's Comprehensive Injury Center (MCW CIC) to administer this statewide grant program made possible through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The grant program is structured to support community-centered projects that employ evidence-informed, public health approaches that address one or more of the CDC’s Prevention Resources for Action violence prevention priority areas:

Intimate Partner Violence
Sexual Violence
Child Abuse and Neglect
Suicide Prevention
Youth Safety and Engagement
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Firearm Violence

MCW allocated $10.4 million in grants to 10 communities throughout the state. Projects are funded until December 31, 2025.

The Comprehensive Injury Center is committed to improving health and safety outcomes for Wisconsin residents. The Division of Community Safety Policy and Engagement works in partnership with the Division of Suicide Research and Healing and the Division of Data Surveillance and Informatics to advance the mission of the Comprehensive Injury Center to prevent and reduce intentional injury, violence and suicide throughout the state.