Gainesville’s latest response to gun violence does not look much like a traditional crime prevention strategy. It looks like laptops, internet access, after-school programs and community partners trying to reach young people before they show up in police data.
That is the idea behind the city’s new technology hub initiative, launched through Impact GNV with support from the Children’s Trust of Alachua County.
Rather than focusing only on what happens after a shooting or arrest, the effort is built around a different question: What do young people need before they ever get there?
City officials and nonprofit partners say access to technology is tied to much more than screens.
It can shape whether teenagers finish schoolwork, apply for jobs, stay connected to resources or take part in structured programs that give them stable places to go and trusted adults to rely on.
The Children’s Trust said that was one reason it decided to support the initiative which will place mobile carts equipped with laptops and other technology with organizations like Oakview Afterschool Prodigy Club, Pineridge Community Center Afterschool Program, Infinite Dream Builders, The Nehemiah Project and Dream on Purpose.
“When the Children’s Trust of Alachua County board decided to provide support to the initiatives and strides the city had started when it came to gun violence, the number of gun violence incidents that involved youth — shots fired, guns being stolen and in the hands of children, anything involving young people — was high here in the county,” said Darlena Cunha, the trust’s director of marketing and communications.
According to the trust, the problem was not simply that some young people lacked technological devices. It was that the same neighborhoods and families facing safety concerns were also facing barriers to opportunity.
“By addressing gaps in technology and technology-based programming, lack of safe community spaces and a dearth of opportunity pathways for youth and families, we can decrease the barriers between resources and access, making sure students have reduced obstacles to their success,” Cunha said. “It’s a holistic approach to a specific problem.”
That broader approach fits with how violence prevention experts describe community violence intervention.
Jordan Costa, associate director of Giffords Center for Violence Intervention, said community violence intervention is proactive rather than reactive.
Instead of waiting until harm occurs, strong prevention models focus on interrupting violence, building relationships and connecting people to support that can stabilize their lives.
Costa said after-school programs and youth opportunities matter because they reduce exposure to high-risk situations while giving young people access to support and a sense of routine and belonging.
Technology access plays a bigger role in that than many people may realize.
“Access to a reliable device and internet affects whether someone can apply for a job, complete schoolwork, attend virtual programming, access telehealth or stay connected to services,” Costa said. “When that access to tech is missing, it creates friction across nearly every prevention pathway.”
For one Gainesville nonprofit, that gap is easy to see.
Dream on Purpose plans to use the technology hubs for its Filming with a Purpose program, an eight-week youth film production project that asks students ages 11 to 18 to confront gun violence through storytelling.
Participants receive training in research, camera operation, interviewing and editing while also taking part in trauma-informed group sessions led by a licensed therapist.
Shareen Baptiste, Dream on Purpose’s president and co-founder, said many of the young people in the program do not have the tools they need to continue to build those skills outside the classroom.
“Many participants do not have reliable access to laptops, software, or the necessary tech infrastructure to support film editing and production,” Baptiste said. “The cart would provide youth with shared access … ensuring equity in participation regardless of household income.”
Baptiste said the technology is tied to more than creative work. It also affects school access, job readiness and confidence.
By removing financial barriers to equipment and software, the organization hopes to help young people build technical skills that can transfer to academics and future careers.
Data presented by the Gainesville Police Department at a Feb. 5 Gainesville City Commission meeting suggests some youth-related firearm cases may be declining, though officials and experts cautioned against treating a single measure as proof that broader prevention efforts are working.
At that meeting, Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya said adjudicated delinquent arrests involving firearms fell from eight in 2024 to six in 2025.
The Gainesville Police Department presentation also showed the number of people shot or injured by gunfire in Gainesville fell from 60 in 2023 to 41 in 2024 and to 15 in 2025.
Still, Costa said cities often make the mistake of judging violence prevention efforts too quickly.
“One of the biggest mistakes cities make is evaluating prevention at the wrong scale and timeline,” Costa said. “Most CVI (community violence intervention)programs are focused on a small group of people at highest risk, but cities often look for immediate, citywide changes in homicide numbers. That mismatch can make effective programs look like they’re not working.”
That is part of why the Children’s Trust says it will be looking at several indicators over time.
“We are looking for a reduction in shots fired, a reduction in youth weapon and firearm offenses and a reduction in youth assault and battery offenses over a period of time after implementation of these hubs,” Cunha said.
For Gainesville, the question is not just whether technology hubs can hand out laptops, but whether those hubs can help close the distance between young people and the resources meant to keep them safe.
That is why city leaders, funders and nonprofit partners keep describing the program in terms broader than hardware.
In their view, a reliable device, a structured place to go and a connection to school, work or support services are not side issues in violence prevention. They are part of the work itself.