In major cities across the country, violent crime remains stubbornly higher than it was pre-pandemic. Pittsburgh is no exception, with the homicide rate up 25%.
If we want more peaceful communities, we must develop better relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Bridging the divides between law enforcement and our communities requires our citizens, entrepreneurs, organizations, and government officials working together to produce bottom-up solutions.
Unfortunately, as we look around our cities today, we see polarization and division. But we also see local leaders coming together to solve problems – and fellow Americans hungry for a better way forward. These are the great drivers of change.
Our goal is to grow the appetite for change by bringing tools, investment, and resources to these local communities, amplifying the efforts of those already putting in the hours.
In June, one of us – Leon – joined with Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert to cofound the Hear Foundation, the only Pittsburgh nonprofit dedicated exclusively to collaborating with community leaders, Pittsburgh Police, and city residents to create a safe, thriving community for all.
The Hear Foundation created summer youth camps in Pittsburgh that focus on academic achievement, mental health, self-empowerment, and community service. 
The Heal America movement, through the Summer of Healing initiative, is working with similar organizations in 18 cities, focused on fostering safer neighborhoods by building trust between community residents and the law enforcement officials sworn to protect them.
• In Atlanta, the Shoot Film Not Guns Anti-Bullying/Stop the Violence Youth Initiative educates youth in troubled communities using “Careers in Film” workshops, where young people learn camera operation, acting, storytelling, and creative writing to tell stories relevant to their communities.
• In Baltimore, Roca Inc. is training police officers to reduce harmful and negative interactions in their personal lives and with the community.
• In Dallas, Violence Interrupters is using relationship management and mentoring to avoid escalations that result in violent crimes.
• In Las Vegas, Hope for Prisoners is pairing people coming out of prison with mentors from law enforcement who can help them overcome the challenges of reentering society.
Real change does not come easy, and we know it will not happen over a single summer. It also does not come without buy-in from communities, where people often have legitimate reasons for distrusting law enforcement.  
But these kinds of programs provide a starting point toward building trust and ensuring accountability for law enforcement – necessary ingredients for public safety.
We are confident that these efforts will help build trust between the police and the communities they serve. And we invite you to join us in the essential work of healing our city and our country.
Leon Ford is a criminal justice reform advocate, co-founder of The Hear Foundation, and Ambassador for the Summer of Healing. Evan Feinberg is a Pittsburgh native and now serves as executive director of Stand Together Foundation.