Community Safety Day Draws Supporters, Local and State Leaders

Written by Jenifer Wallitsch, Emergency Preparedness Specialist

March 12, 2025 – Yesterday violence prevention leaders, law enforcement, elected officials, and youth convened at the Massachusetts State House for the annual Community Safety Day on the Hill event, advocating for continued funding of the Senator Charles E. Shannon Community Safety Initiative (Shannon CSI) and the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI).

The Shannon CSI grant program, supported through the state’s annual budget and administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, takes a multi-disciplinary approach to address youth violence. It offers services in intervention, prevention, enforcement, prosecution, and reintegration, targeting youth and young adults ages 10 to 24. Similarly, the SSYI, managed by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, applies a public health model to engage and support young people ages 17-24 and improve outcomes through case management and service delivery.

Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy is standing behind a wooden podium holding a microphone and speaking to a crowded room.

Charles Shannon Jr stands behind a podium and looks out to address attendees at the 2025 Community Safety Day at the State House.

MAPC Deputy Executive Director Lizzi Weyant, stands behind a wooden podium, speaking into a microphone to a large room filled with people sitting in chairs and standing.

Youth sit in the chairs behind the long wooden legislative desk in the chambers.

Chief Eric McAvene, Garner Chief of Police stands behind a wooden podium speaking to people sitting in chairs at white covered tables.

Organized annually by MAPC, Community Safety Day serves as a vital advocacy platform, drawing attention to the importance of funding these initiatives to reduce violence among youth across Massachusetts. The event featured speeches from Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representative Adrian Madaro, and Charles Shannon, the son of the late Sen. Charles Shannon, whose legacy the program honors. Renee Contreras and Noelle Furanz of the Shannon CSI statewide research partner team shared key findings from the 2024 site briefs, underscoring the program’s statewide impact.

In 2024, a total of 28,251 youth were served through Shannon programs. One hundred and forty-five partner organizations and 157 full-time equivalent positions were supported with $10.9 million, with an average investment of $382.29 per youth across all Shannon service areas. Shannon programs had notable increases in participation in 2024 from the previous year:

11,452 youth participated in recreation programs, representing a 25% increase from 2023
3,588 youth received case management services, representing a 91% increase from 2023
5,766 participated in education programming, representing a 78% increase from the previous year
2,826 participated in employment programming, representing an 89% increase from 2023
483 law enforcement supported home visits, representing a 55% increase from the previous year

Additionally, Chief Eric McAvene of the Gardner Police Department and youth participants from Pittsfield’s 18 Degrees Program reflected on how the Shannon CSI initiative has shaped their work and lives.

MAPC coordinates the Metro Mayors Shannon CSI site’s funded initiatives across 20 partners in nine Boston-area communities, bridging gaps between youth, law enforcement, and violence prevention leaders. Shannon CSI funds a range of activities, from hotspot patrols and after-school programs to job training and mental health counseling.

Established in 2006, the Shannon CSI was a result of collaboration between the Metro Mayors Coalition and the Legislature to combat youth violence, gang activity, and substance use disorders. The program’s success in fostering regional, multi-disciplinary efforts to address these issues has garnered national recognition.