The Power of Presence

bossbayarea
Jul 10
4 min read

In June, something remarkable happened in Oakland: Violence Interrupters, Credible Messengers, and a Shift We Must Name.

The city went 29 straight days without a homicide, the longest streak in decades. There were no parades. No press conferences. But those who know, know. This was not a fluke, but the result of care work and tireless outreach. Of people who live in the very communities they serve, doing the unseen, often uncelebrated work of violence prevention.

Public safety doesn’t rest on a single program or campaign. The Blueprint includes many layers and aw enforcement strategies like Ceasefire may be one, but it’s community-led responses, like those from CVI teams and grassroots organizations, that shift culture and create safety that lasts.

BOSS is proud to be part of this continuum. We invest in people. We listen, de-escalate, and walk with those at the center of harm. And while media narratives may overlook this work, we remain rooted in what’s real because safety starts with community.

Oakland went 25 days without a homicide between May 30 and June 25, 2025. This included a period in late June, specifically the week of June 23-29, where only 2 homicides were reported. In the week following, from June 30 to July 6, only 1 homicide was reported. Oakland has also experienced a reduction in homicides year-to-date in 2025 compared to 2024, with a 21-23% decrease reported through late June and early July.

This is what it looks like when the community is allowed to lead.

A National Shift, If We Let It Be One

Oakland is not alone. Baltimore and Birmingham, under the leadership of Mayors Brandon Scott and Randall Woodfin, are experiencing record-low rates of violent crime. Their strategy? Public safety that doesn’t begin with punishment, but with people, prevention, presence, and purpose.

These city leaders are choosing to invest in community violence intervention (CVI) models, reentry support services, peer-led healing initiatives, and trauma-informed care. It represents a shift in focus and funding, with measurable results.

They are not relying on more jails or more enforcement. They are recognizing that those most impacted by violence have always had the knowledge to interrupt it.

Credible Messengers and Violence Interrupters are not new. They form the heartbeat of our Wellness, Empowerment & Resiliency Campus (WERC), our reentry programs, and our Haven for Black Healing sites. They engage in peer-to-peer conversations that de-escalate conflict by building trust and preventing retaliation before it begins. This is public safety rooted in relationship—not punishment.

They also conduct safety assessments, develop strategic safety plans, and help create environments that support health and stability. Through warm hand-offs, they ensure individuals are connected to the resources, people, and pathways they need to stay safe and move forward.

The Work Behind the Numbers

Behind Oakland’s 29-day streak are people like Bruce, who went from volunteering with the Trauma Recovery Center to becoming a full-time Violence Interrupter with BOSS. Interventionists are holding late-night conflict mediation circles, supporting families in grief, and offering food, connection, and clarity in neighborhoods often underserved by every major system.

When people say the violence is down, we say: Let’s talk about who made that possible.

Alameda County Public Health Department’s (ACPHD) Office of Violence Prevention has a newly released report on gun violence in Alameda County. Gun violence is a public health issue that harms those injured or killed and has rippling impacts on their loved ones and throughout our community.

Why Now? Why This Matters More Than Ever

Community-led safety is working. Yet, incredibly, it is under threat.

At the federal level, critical Department of Justice (DOJ) funding for CVI is being delayed, and in some cases, it has been frozen.

Across the country, Community Justice and allied organizations are mobilizing calls to Congress to demand that these funds be restored. Legal briefings, field-wide strategy sessions, and CVI protection networks are rising to meet the moment.

When you interrupt the funding, you interrupt the healing.

The California Context

In California, we continue to experience a tension between innovation and erasure. Cities like Oakland, Los Angeles, and Richmond have long piloted some of the most effective community safety models in the nation. But without consistent investment from counties and the state, these programs stretch beyond capacity.

We cannot rely solely on local champions. The state must affirm that safety does not begin and end with law enforcement. It begins with stable housing, mental wellness, economic opportunity, and credible connections to care. BOSS has been building that framework for more than 50 years. We've seen what happens when funding disappears—and we know the toll it takes to rebuild what should never have been dismantled.

What Is at Stake

Without proper funding, we risk losing the very people who make peace possible. We risk sending Violence Interrupters back to volunteer status. We risk halting reentry programs that have helped people secure housing, reunite with family, and find stable jobs after incarceration. Without continued investment, the numbers will represent real people losing access to lifelines. A returned citizen who was on track to regain custody and a father who was one paycheck away from permanent housing. Recidivism rises when support disappears.

The question isn’t, does this work? The question is, will we choose to protect it?

BOSS is not standing by. We are:

Continuing to train and support Credible Messengers across Alameda County
Participating in state and national advocacy with CVLN, Protect CVI, and other legal coalitions
Providing real-time updates to staff, partners, and elected officials about the legal and funding landscape
Mobilizing community voice in every space we can enter
Investing in collective care and reentry infrastructure from the inside out

We are calling on our city, county, and state partners to recommit to what’s working. We are asking the public to see the long game of public safety. We invite our supporters to fund the strategy that leads to real results, such as 29 days of life preserved. This is the work we’ve committed to for over 50 years. It takes strategy and presence, and most importantly, it takes all of us.

We’re inviting you to lean in and support what’s working. Keep naming the people behind the progress, because that’s where safety begins.