The City of Gainesville welcomes all partners in the continuing effort to reduce gun violence in our community. With respect to Cure Violence Global (CVG), an organization that has named our city as a target community in obtaining a grant from the Department of Justice, it is not yet clear how the CVG program would involve our community and benefit our neighbors. This is because the city, at no point, was aware of or involved in the grant application process managed by CVG. It is unfortunate that group discussion in a meeting of the Gun Violence Prevention Alliance, a partnership formed in order to explore these issues, was misinterpreted. It is the responsibility of city leaders to gain a deeper understanding of the CVG process and the city’s involvement. Although collaboration with the City of Gainesville did not take place earlier in the timeline, city leaders remain interested in learning how this model may dovetail with existing local collaborations and anti-violence efforts.

Good morning,

I hope this message finds you all well. I am writing to follow up on the recent meeting with the Alliance in Gainesville. First, I want to express gratitude for the opportunity to convene stakeholders and discuss the important work of violence prevention in the region.

However, I feel it is necessary to address the events during the meeting. As you know, Cure Violence Global was invited to partner with you all at the county to secure resources to support violence prevention efforts, as documented in the drafted contract we were working towards prior to receiving DOJ funding. From the outset, we sought to foster collaboration and inquired about city partnership. The city was aware of the motion put forward by the County Commissioner’s and Children’s Trust Boards for us to begin work in Gainesville, as they were present during the motion while we were on site in Gainesville. At that time, we were informed that the city was not interested in participating, so we proceeded with the partners who approached us and prioritized their understanding of the local political climate.

Subsequently, we secured $4 million in funding for violence prevention efforts – resources that otherwise may not have been available. These funds are intended to enhance the community’s capacity to address violence, and we are bringing this support at no cost to the city. The involvement of other national violence prevention organizations in this initiative underscores our commitment to ensuring the work is informed by best practices and expertise.

Unfortunately, the tone and conduct of city representatives during the meeting were deeply concerning. Their actions not only mischaracterized our intentions but also created an unnecessarily hostile environment for our national partners, who generously offered their time and expertise. As an internationally renowned organization, we value collaboration and mutual respect in all partnerships. It was disheartening to be treated as adversaries despite our efforts to bring substantial resources to the region.

To clarify, we have acted in good faith throughout this process, honoring the requests and guidance of those who invited us to participate. Our engagement has always prioritized collaboration and respect for local context. We do not require city approval to do this work, but we have consistently expressed a willingness to partner with the city – and whomever else – to achieve shared goals.

Given the hostility encountered, we believe it is in the best interest of all parties for Cure Violence Global to graciously bow out of this partnership. We respect the importance of unity in addressing community challenges, and we do not wish to proceed where our presence may inadvertently create division.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We hope that the efforts initiated there will still lead to meaningful progress for Gainesville and Alachua County. Should the city wish to engage with us in a spirit of collaboration in the future, we remain open to such discussions in the future.

I have attached a copy of the letters of support to be shared with those who mentioned not knowing who provided and/or signed off on those letters.

Best,

Monique Williams, PhD, MPH 

Executive Director 

Cure Violence Global 

https://cvg.org/ 

Adjunct Professor, Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences 

University of Louisville 

School of Public Health & Information Sciences