In 2016, the City of Little Rock was among 50 mid-sized cities selected to participate in the Invest Health initiative. A project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Reinvestment Fund, the initiative brought together diverse leaders from health and other sectors to identify and develop strategies to improve neighborhoods facing the biggest barriers to health. Strategies could focus on factors affecting the health and well-being of a neighborhood, such as expanding access to jobs, increasing affordable housing, and boosting the availability of nutritious food–as well as reducing crime rates and isolation. During the project, the city experienced a rash of homicides, prompting the need to further examine the link between violent crime and health. This fact sheet explores national, state, and local violent-crime data, describes the direct and indirect health impacts of violent crime, and documents some interventions with positive outcomes.
