SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - For the past few years, there’s been a concentrated effort to reduce gun violence.

In Springfield, that means partnering with local nonprofits and outreach groups to put a dent in the number of homicides. So far this year, there have been 10 cases. Last year there were 12, and in 2023 there were 19.

“We’re very supportive and willing to work through issues rather than let things escalate and get worse,” said Springfield Police Major Tad Peters.

He says partnering with the community has made a difference.

“We’ve got the gun safety violence reduction collaborative with the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. We’ve been working with them for a couple of years now,” he said. “They have several projects. (We have) outreach to the members of the community to try to

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