Minneapolis launching hospital bedside prevention program to help curb violence

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - After a rash of gun violence in Minneapolis, the city’s director of violence prevention is addressing the road ahead. 

“It will be essential that we work in partnership to develop a strategy to address the violence that we are currently experiencing,” said Sasha Cotton, Minneapolis director of violence prevention.

This comes in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, the police killing of George Floyd and the days of unrest that followed.

“We know that violence, like other pandemics is a contagious situation,” said Cotton.

In what the Minneapolis police chief described earlier this week as a public health crisis, the city is rolling out a hospital bedside prevention program to help bring an end to retaliatory attacks.

“That’s critically important because we know that people that have been injured by violence, one, may be feeling a sense or need to retaliate, they or their loved ones may feel the need to retaliate, and we want to interrupt those patterns of retaliation,” said Cotton.

This also includes ensuring that the casualties of gunfire have the resources to get back on their feet. 
It’s one part of the city’s larger plan to curb the violence.

“We’re doing everything that we can do to reduce that spread and work with our partners to address both the unrest that are communities are feeling and the violence as a result,” said Cotton.

Cotton has also been working community leaders and neighborhood groups on gun violence prevention measures.