Will Chicago's CeaseFire Model Work in Cape Town?

By Soyoung Kwak in Miscellaneous on Oct 17, 2010 5:15PM

Recently, authorities in Cape Town met with Dr. Gary Slutkin, the founder of CeaseFire, in order to figure out a way to quell gang violence in and around Cape Town. Members of the South African community attended workshops to discuss bringing a "pilot project" to Cape Town in the near future that would be modeled after Chicago's own methods.

For those who are not familiar with the CeaseFire program, the organization itself encourages community-based outreach to bring changes into Chicago neighborhoods that have high instances of violence. Even more popular is Dr. Slutkin's own theory behind gang violence in Chicago -- Dr. Slutkin has been steadfast in his beliefs to treat violence like an infectious disease.

Although some may question the strength and effectiveness of the CeaseFire methodology, Dr. Slutkin's mindset has indeed helped decrease the number of violence in certain areas around Chicago. For instance, the Institute for Policy Research found that CeaseFire programs have helped reduce the number of violent events in areas such as Auburn-Gresham and Logan Square. It is difficult to tell if Chicago's methods will be successful in South Africa, but it's a good move on the part of Cape Town to stand up to violence.