Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Both the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as several other countries, determined that Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) is an effective way to deter and prevent domestic terrorism. However, these programs are new and risk alienating diverse populations or creating paranoia through reporting and awareness-raising activities. This comparative study examines the growth and development of CVE programs in Denver, Colorado, United States and Birmingham, United Kingdom. Of interest to the researchers are the qualitative intervention practices that are distinct between the two programs based on governance structures, the opportunities for culturally competent prevention trainings, and the successes achieved in each community related to preventing and intervening against acts of collective violence. These two cities participated in a United States Department of State sponsored exchange program and the results of the exchanges emerged as increased awareness of effective mental health interventions for individuals referred to the violence intervention programs as well as a deeper and more credible response and referral network between bureaucratic structures, the communities, and law enforcement organizations. This paper presents the findings from the exchange and provides a glance at best practices for CVE programs globally.