Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention (OFSVP)

The Department of Commerce is committed to building strong communities to support successful businesses and self-sufficient families. Strengthening communities is at the heart of our work. Strong communities must be safe communities. The Department of Commerce works hand-in-hand with local and regional agencies, public health officials, law enforcement, community organizations and individual community members to address the impact of crime, substance abuse and violence to facilitate the availability of opportunities and resources in communities statewide.

Roles and responsibilities

The Legislature created Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention (OFSVP) in 2020 (Ch. 43.330A RCW). The responsibilities of the office include:

• Creating and maintaining a network of community intervention and reduction programs across the state
• Developing best practice guidance and providing technical assistance
• Identifying promising practices within Washington or in other states or countries, and supporting efforts to scale up or replicate those practices across the state
• Convening gatherings and hosting training to bring together state and national experts and community participants
• Identifying steps to improve the availability and quality of firearm data in Washington through information collection and data sharing.
• Identifying and administering state, federal and private funding for grant programs focused on reducing firearm violence in Washington communities
• Issuing a bi-annual report and policy recommendations to policymakers.

In the time since this statewide office was launched, OFSVP has made strategic investments in evidenced-based violence reduction strategies across the state. The office has collaborated closely with subject matter experts within the state and nationally to ensure our efforts are keeping up with unprecedented research and understanding of the causes of firearm violence and emerging strategies to achieve reductions.

OFSVP works hand-in-hand with policymakers, public health officials, government entities, law enforcement agencies, researchers, community organizations and individual community members. We prioritize building violence prevention and intervention capacity through engagement, outreach and technical assistance, and using data validated by our community partners to inform funding decisions.

Violence reduction strategies

OFSVP funds three types of violence reduction strategies: intervention, prevention and planning.

• Intervention strategies are more immediate and interface with the populations and communities at highest risk for being victims or perpetrators of firearm violence.
• Prevention strategies have a broader reach and touch at risk populations who may not yet – but could be anticipated to be – engaged in firearm violence.
• Planning strategies are designed to bring community partners together to create and implement a plan for culturally relevant, sustainable strategies that respond to specific local needs.

Emerging Intervention Strategies

• Group violence intervention – Interventions for groups of high-risk individuals designed to give a sense of community (e.g., Group Violence Intervention – National Network for Safe Communities);
• Hospital-based violence intervention – Interventions taking place with gunshot victims that begin in hospitals but may continue after the victim leaves the hospital (e.g., The HAVI);
• Violence interrupters – Street outreach and violence interruption programs utilizing credible messengers working with individuals in high-risk areas (“hot spots”) within communities (e.g., Cure Violence, Operation Ceasefire); or
• Outreach programs – Programs that specifically target at-risk youth for individual intervention (e.g., Chicago CRED, Safe and Successful Youth Initiative).

Community-Driven Violence Reduction Strategies

• Pilot projects – Intervention programs in early development and testing that are unique or specific to the community.
• Program expansion – Intervention and prevention programs that are ready for geographic or participant expansion.
• Mentors – Intervention programs which include positive youth and young adult engagement, that are asset-based and focus on community and individual strengths.
• Outreach workers – Street outreach and violence interruption programs utilizing outreach workers with shared lived experience working with individuals in high-risk areas (“hot spots”) within communities.
• Public health approaches – Interventions that include a wide range of experts to determine the problem, identify key risk factors, develop evidence-based policies and programs, and ensure effective implementation and evaluation.
• Data-driven programs – Programs that specifically target at-risk youth for individual intervention using data from partners which could include public, schools, law enforcement or court systems.