How Cleveland Is Preventing Violence with Myesha Watkins

What does real violence prevention look like in Cleveland right now?In this episode of Cleveland Pulse, host Edwin Hubbard Jr. sits down with Myesha Watkins, Administrator of the Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention and former executive director of Cleveland Peacemakers, for a grounded conversation about gun violence, public safety, and what it takes to build safer communities across Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.Myesha shares how her lived experience, social work background, and years in community violence intervention shaped her approach to this work. Together, she and Edwin dig into the realities behind gun violence in Cleveland, including how conflict, trauma, underinvestment, and access to firearms all intersect. They also talk about why violence prevention must be treated as a public health issue, why safe gun storage matters, and why families need to start age-appropriate conversations with children as early as possible.The episode also highlights local solutions already happening in our region, from family gun safety education classes through the Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention and Cuyahoga County Board of Health to community organizations doing on-the-ground intervention work. Myesha makes the case that Cleveland doesn’t need more talk without coordination. It needs partnerships, trusted messengers, practical resources, and real investment in the neighborhoods most impacted by violence.This conversation is for Clevelanders who care about community advocacy, public safety, youth opportunity, and building a city where families can live without fear. If you’re interested in Cleveland civic engagement, Black leadership in Cleveland, and practical strategies for safer neighborhoods, this episode belongs in your queue.