RALEIGH – Training was held Aug. 4-5 in Greensboro for five communities that will be adopting a crime prevention program based on High Point's successful Community Against Violence initiative.

“The High Point initiative has made a significant difference in North Carolina and across the country,” said Governor's Crime Commission Chairman Scott Thomas, who will give opening remarks Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Greensboro High Point Marriott Hotel. “When you take the major players off the street, crime rates drop. That's what we all want.”

In May, Gov. Bev Perdue approved $700,000 in grants from the Governor's Crime Commission to expand High Point's nationally-recognized violent crime program. With the federal and state grants, gang intervention and prevention will be targeted in Goldsboro, Wilmington, Bladen/Columbus County, Gastonia and Hickory. The expenditure also includes expanding the program to Asheville, Greenville and Shelby later this year.

GCC has issued $200,000 in grants to the High Point Community Against Violence program since 2005. The program has helped change the lives of 60 repeat offenders who were perceived to be the ringleaders of crime in their community. The program brought community organizations and law enforcement together to give offenders a second chance. When that happened, violent crime decreased in High Point.

High Point's Violent Crime Task Force is now the model for 20 major cities across the country including Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Baltimore. The High Point Community Against Violence program was recognized by the Kennedy School of Government for their 2007 Innovations in Government Award.

Here's how the program works: Enough evidence has been gathered on an offender for his or her conviction. Instead, the person is brought into a room with clergy, police officials, prosecutors, court counselors, probation officers and family members and told that his or her violence will no longer be tolerated. Each offender has a choice — face imprisonment or make a radical lifestyle change and stay out of trouble. The majority have turned their lives around with the help of members of the community who offer practical support, such as rides to job interviews.