The first phase of grant activity involved information gathering and equipment research. Two community violence reduction summits were held to generate citizen input. The first summit defined a basic course of action, while the second summit dealt with citizen reluctance to serve as witnesses or to share information about neighborhood crime. In addition, committees were formed to assist in homicide reduction efforts that involved the religious community, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office, probation and parole officials, groups serving battered women and rape victims, and the Drug Enforcement Agency Mobile Enforcement Team. Grant funds were also used to purchase personal computers and software to allow homicide investigators to more easily gather information about their cases, and a full-time evidence technician was assigned to the Richmond Police Department's Homicide Unit. An individual from the Crime and Justice Research Institute served as an outside evaluator of grant homicide reduction activity. The author concludes that the grant was instrumental in reducing homicides from 34 in 1995 to 18 in 1998.