ABC News 7 | Violence trending downward in Alameda Co. amid investments into prevention programs, data shows

Violence Is a Public Health Crisis — and Prevention Works

Last week, ABC News shined a critical spotlight on gun violence in Alameda County — and on the community-based solutions that are helping save lives. Youth ALIVE!’s Executive Director, Dr. Joe Griffin, was interviewed as part of the coverage, elevating both the urgency of this moment and the importance of sustained investment in violence prevention.

The data is sobering. Violence is the leading cause of death for young people ages 15–19 and 20–24 in Alameda County, and the second leading cause for children ages 10–14. These numbers represent real young lives, families, and communities carrying unimaginable loss.

At the same time, there is meaningful progress to acknowledge.

County leaders shared that violence is trending downward, a shift attributed to intentional investments in community-based violence prevention programs. During a special meeting of the Alameda County Public Protection Committee, Supervisor Elisa Márquez named what many frontline organizations have long known: violence is a public health crisis, and addressing it requires honesty, urgency, and resources.

That commitment was reinforced with the County’s recent decision to invest an additional $3 million over the next three years into violence prevention efforts.

At Youth ALIVE!, this is the approach we have championed for more than three decades. Violence is not inevitable — it is preventable. When communities are resourced with trusted, credible messengers; when survivors receive care at hospital bedsides and beyond; when young people are supported with mentorship, leadership development, and healing-centered services — violence can be interrupted and lives can be saved.

Dr. Griffin’s voice in this coverage reflects the lived reality of our work: prevention works when it is community-rooted, coordinated, and sustained. Treating violence as a public health issue allows us to move away from punishment-driven responses and toward solutions that promote safety, healing, and long-term stability.

We are grateful to ABC News for elevating this conversation and to Alameda County leaders for recognizing the seriousness of the crisis — and the solutions that are making a difference. Watch the full segment here.