The Office of Violent Crime Prevention (OVCP) was created in November 2022 to centralize the City’s efforts to combat violence and to coordinate strategies of violence reduction, prevention, and intervention. In November 2024, the department’s name was updated to Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to focus on personal and community safety as well as engagement among all residents.
The ONSE has three essential pillars:
Through strategic planning, data collection and analysis, community-based program implementation, cataloging resources, identifying and managing violence prevention funding, conducting training, providing technical assistance, and promoting effective partnerships, the ONSE directs the violence prevention and intervention efforts in the City of Columbia.
The Director for the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement serves as the City of Columbia’s violent crime prevention expert and provides consultation to City leadership, as well as coordinate efforts with other government agencies.
To uphold the City of Columbia’s mission of providing bold leadership and exemplary services to advance the quality of life for everyone, the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) aims to coordinate the City’s efforts of implementing prevention, intervention, and initiatives to reduce violent crime. The ONSE will accomplish its aim through its three pillars.
The goal of the ONSE is to coordinate the City’s violence reduction efforts by developing a holistic and comprehensive approach that is data-driven, embraces evidence-based practices, and includes collaborative partnerships with residents, government agencies, law enforcement, social service providers, and other community stakeholders.
Prevention starts with engagement; engagement starts with us showing up! Our motto represents our belief in the power of collaboration. To prevent violence, we must all show up and work together. No one person, department, organization, or agency can do this work alone!
