ONE Lexington today released its annual report and goals for continuing to reduce community gun violence. The release follows a year with decreases in shootings and gun-related homicides.
“I am proud of the work done by our ONE Lexington team, Lexington Division of Police, and community partners over the past year,” Mayor Linda Gorton said. “Our city saw a substantial decrease in homicides last year, and the work of everyone involved helped make it happen.”
In 2023, Lexington saw a 46 percent decrease in homicides from the prior year, and the lowest since 2018.
“Working with, and being part of, ONE Lexington allows us to help with and meet people where they are,” Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said. “By focusing on prevention, intervention, enforcement, and re-entry, we can help put people in touch with the community resources they need. The partnerships established make our whole community safer.”
ONE Lexington focuses its work on support of Lexington’s youth and young adults who are affected by gun violence. Last year saw a decrease in homicides and shootings among victims ages 13 to 29 years, including a 35% decrease in shooting victims within the age group.
“In 2022 we had 44 homicides and 24 in 2023,” said ONE Lexington Director Devine Carama. “For the first time since 2018, Lexington had fewer than than 100 shootings in a year. While the progress we saw in 2023 is encouraging, we understand that far too many in our community have been affected by gun violence in recent years, and our prayers are with them. ONE Lexington and its community partners are committed to the fight to address the root causes of gun violence. We must now transition from a continuum of care and support, to a continuum of opportunity.”
ONE Lexington’s work in 2023, in collaboration with community partners, included violence prevention grants for grassroots organizations, Family Resource and Youth Service Centers violence prevention donations, the It Takes a Village Summer Youth and In-School Mentoring Programs, a symposium on youth and young adult gun violence, re-entry support, youth and young adult conflict mediations, crisis response, and survivor support.
Support from community partners is critical to the success of ONE Lexington.
“Who and what influences our children's minds, emotions, motivation, drive, education, and level of expectations all matter,” said Melody Westerfield, a teacher who heads up the It Takes a Village Mentoring Program at William Wells Brown Elementary. “Having positive mentors and effective mentorship programs are especially important to our scholars at William Wells Brown Elementary School. They benefit from a role model like Devine and the It Takes A Village program that helps to open their young minds, and extend our students’ vision to greater heights.”
In 2024, ONE Lexington’s goal is continuing the work of identifying and addressing the root causes of community gun violence. The group hopes to find a responsible and effective way to serve a younger population in hopes of reaching youth before they are affected by gun violence.
Learn more about ONE Lexington and the 2023 Annual Report by visiting 2023 End of Year Report.
