Ceasefire Detroit: A Community-Powered Organization Aiming to Stop Gun Violence

Ceasefire is a community violence intervention program that often comes up whenever Detroit discusses stopping gun violence. 

The city’s longest-running and most recognized CVI, Ceasefire’s foundation is based on hard truths and real opportunities, which they achieve through a partnership model that includes community members, law enforcement, clergy, and social service providers. 

Originally inspired by a National “Group Violence Intervention” framework developed by the National Network for Safe Communities, Ceasefire Detroit targets those most at risk for gun violence – victims or perpetrators. These are usually young men in the streets who make wrong decisions that lead them to difficult circumstances.

However, what makes Ceasefire unique is its face-to-face approach. 

It uses “call-ins,” where small groups of high-risk individuals are invited – sometimes mandated – to participate in community forums. 

They are then greeted with a united front: police officers offering consequences, service providers offering help, and community voices offering hope. 

The message is simple: straighten up, or your future will not be pretty. 

Of course, Ceasefire does more than just preach accountability – it offers a strong pathway out.

Such pathways include job training, education support, mental health counseling, re-entry, and housing assistance for anyone who genuinely wants to leave violence behind.

Not only that, but Ceasefire facilitators also organize peace walks, candlelight vigils, and community outreach in post-violence communities, acting as moral anchors and outreach workers – many of whom come equipped with real experience with gangs, incarceration, or trauma that help them build trust with those less likely to listen.

That said, Ceasefire Detroit has faced criticism, particularly regarding its close relationship with law enforcement and whether or not its interventions are lasting. 

In fact, a comprehensive evaluation in 2022 labeled the organization as “ineffective” in reducing group-related gun violence overall, yet that same report found that Ceasefire call-in attendees were significantly less likely to be arrested than non-attending peers. 

That is progress – even in a challenging environment – not necessarily perfect, but necessary. 

Ceasefire has continually evolved since its introduction, especially as community stakeholders strive to make it more transparent, more human, and more responsive to what neighborhoods actually need.

Today, it remains one of Detroit’s key CVI anchors, partnering with grassroots groups, block clubs, and other ShotStopper-funded efforts.

In a city fighting to reclaim its blocks from gunfire daily, Ceasefire Detroit is about more than just stopping a bullet: it aims to give people a reason not to pull the trigger first.