OVP Score Card

The Community Justice Index (formerly the Violence Prevention Index) is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive assessment of local government support for proven community-based violence prevention programs and policies. This fourth edition will include all cities rated in last year’s report, which included the 100 U.S. municipalities that experienced the highest levels of gun violence in 2021 and 2022. The criteria by which cities are ranked represent evidence-based local programs and policies that work together to drastically reduce gun and other forms of violence.

The CJI will soon release its 2025 report, and Memphis is now scoring a 75... placing us in the top five nationally for 2025. In 2023, Memphis scored 20/100. Once established, the Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement engaged with CJI to understand their criteria and how they gathered information. Last year, we were able to identify contracts, and action plans that CJI could not find and our score rose to a 45/100. This year with the assistance of Isabela Nolasco, our urban fellow, we were able to elevate the score once again. One of the most unique things about CJI is that they focus solely on City supports, so County efforts sometimes don't count. The city has to partner, fund, or benefit the most from a County initiative to gain points. However, this is a strong external validation of the work happening across JONSE, GVRI, 901 Peace, MPD, MFD, The Health Dept., SC Courts and our community partners. It shows clear movement in the right direction while also underscoring that there is still more to be done.

Below are prior year scorecards and the 2025 standards by which rated cities are assessed and ranked.