Cohort 2022

New York City Anti-Violence Project

Database Consolidation for LGBTQ+ Community-Led Safety 

New York, NY

The year 2021 was the deadliest on record for LGBTQ+ people and was particularly deadly for trans women of color. Instances of hate crimes, increases in family violence, and antitrans legislation shook communities as the pandemic raged on. Moreover, negative interactions with law enforcement can further harm LGBTQ+ people, making them feel less safe and compounding existing trauma; the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP), which works to make the city safer for LGBTQ+ people and move safety and violence prevention away from the carceral system, reports that over 60 percent of its clients have experienced negative police interactions. 

As part of its work, the AVP relies on data collected through community organizing, a 24/7 crisis hotline, and reports from community members. With Catalyst Grant funding, it will enhance its data collection by consolidating it from three separate internal departments into one comprehensive, custom-made Salesforce database. Collected data include the types of violence people experience, who experiences it, incident locations, how police are involved, and the relationship between the survivor and the person who caused harm. The Salesforce database will provide the organization and the community a public tool for better understanding violence against LGBTQ+ people in New York City. It will also help demonstrate how police are involved in such violence and inform solutions to improve the criminal legal system. In addition to supporting AVP services, the data will be shared with elected officials, advocates, and other organizations to advance a model for community-focused safety.