Durham City ends Bull City United – ABC11 Raleigh-Durham program

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — The city of Durham announced Friday that it has decided to end its Bull City United program immediately.

The decision means 14 14 full-time employees and six contract employees have lost their jobs.

Based on the Cure Violence model, which is a public health approach to reducing gun violence, Bull City United was formed in November 2016 in response to escalating gun violence in County Durham.

The program focused on addressing shootings in two census tracts with a team of seven personnel. In 2021, the City of Durham expanded the program by adding 18 additional staff members, bringing the total to 25 working in six census tracts.

In 2022, Bull City United conducted more than 1,300 mediations with the help of Violence Interrupters and staff. It also widened its target area to include McDougald Terrace, Cornwallis and Oxford Manor.

The program operates on a budget of $2,577,913, of which $1,067,892 is supported by the City of Durham.

The city said it made the decision after “careful consideration over time. The Community Intervention and Support Division (CISS) will phase out the program.

“The CISS department is dedicated to facilitating a smooth transition by offering support and connecting people with career and professional development resources as they pursue new opportunities of their own choosing,” said Joan Pierce, Assistant District Manager of Community Wellbeing.

The CISS department said it remains “committed to exploring and supporting initiatives that effectively respond to the changing needs of our community, providing a strategic and impactful response to promote community safety and well-being. It will continue to engage with internal and external partners to leverage their expertise and insights.”

Bull City United began in November 2016 and was modeled after a similar effort in Chicago to stop violence in Durham.

NOTE: The video is from a previous report and will be updated.