EVANSVILLE, Ind. ~ Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry and the Evansville Police Department will hold a Safer Evansville Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

The meeting will introduce Evansville 360, a planned initiative bringing community partners together to address factors contributing to violence. An Omaha 360 representative is expected to explain the model and answer questions.

The initiative will involve the police department, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, ECHO Housing & Community Development, neighborhood associations, community organizations and residents. Organizers say the effort will build on existing programs and combine collaboration, prevention, intervention, enforcement and reentry.

Evansville 360 will begin with a community assessment to identify local needs, available resources and gaps in services. Resident input will help shape strategies, which are scheduled to be piloted in the Glenwood neighborhood in 2027. ECHO Housing & Community Development will coordinate the work and track progress, according to the announcement.

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The model is based on Omaha 360, developed by the Empowerment Network in Omaha, Nebraska. The announcement says the approach has been credited with reducing gun violence and homicides by more than 70% in key Omaha neighborhoods and connecting more than 1,500 young people and families each year with support services. It also cites reductions in gun violence in Lansing, Kansas City and New Orleans, without specifying time periods or measures.

The town hall follows an earlier meeting focused on enforcement strategies and violent crime trends from 2020 to 2025. The city reported decreases of 60% in murders and 43.5% in shooting victims, alongside a 47% increase in guns seized.

"Public safety is a shared responsibility," Terry said, adding that lasting change requires listening to residents, strengthening partnerships and addressing what drives violence.

Police Chief Philip Smith said Evansville 360 would build on existing strategies, including Group Violence Intervention, by strengthening ties with residents and community organizations. ECHO CEO Savannah Whicker said the initiative would involve residents in shaping solutions to issues that can intersect with violence, including housing instability, economic opportunity and behavioral health.

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