County Durham discontinue Bull City United programme

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) — County Durham said on Friday it had decided to discontinue the Bull City United program with immediate effect.

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

On the basis The Healing Model of Violencewhich is a public health approach to reducing gun violence, Bull City United was founded 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 staff members. In 2021, the City of Durham expanded the program, adding 18 additional staff members, bringing the total to 25 working in six census tracts.

In 2022, Bull City United led over 1,300 mediations with the help of violence interrupters and staff. It also expanded its target area to include McDougald Terrace, Cornwallis and Oxford Manor.

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

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

“The CISS department is dedicated to facilitating a smooth transition by providing support and connecting individuals to professional and career development resources as they seek new opportunities at their request,” said Joanne Pierce, Assistant County Director of Community Welfare.

The CISS department said it remains “committed to exploring and supporting initiatives that effectively address the changing needs of our community, ensuring 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 knowledge.”

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

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