YORK, Pa. (WHTM) — York City Police say that the “Group Violence Intervention” project, which began back in 2016, is helping to reduce gun violence in the city.

At Monday night’s forum, community members had a chance to listen and be heard on the subject of gun violence.

According to York Police, there has only been one shooting so far in 2023 and there hasn’t been a shooting in the past 35 days.

Every Wednesday, people who are a part of the “Group Violence Intervention” project go out into the community and knock on doors. They work to make connections with at-risk youth, while giving them economic opportunities and helping them become part of the solution.

“Law enforcement is supposed to take a back seat. We want the community to get involved, we want the community to develop those informal social controls, to where neighbors, teachers, store owners, coaches, aunts, and uncles, get involved and to stave off the problem before it gets bigger,” said an officer with the York City Police Department.

The project coordinator stated that as the program grows, she’s confident that the number of shootings will go down.