City Violence‑Intervention Spending Lacks Proof

Cities and philanthropies have poured hundreds of millions into community‑violence intervention programs, but systematic evidence that these investments reduce shootings and homicides is thin or mixed. Policymakers should treat CVI like any major public program: fund rigorous randomized evaluations, track outcomes transparently, and be ready to reallocate if impacts aren't demonstrated. — If large CVI expenditures lack solid evidence, continuing them reshapes public‑safety budgets and political narratives without guaranteed public benefit.