Dr. David Swedler Honored with Innovation in Violence Prevention Award

David Swedler, PhD, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist at the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Bureau of Behavioral Health, and his team received the Innovation in Violence Prevention Award at the Second Annual Safety is Belonging: Honoring Prevention, Intervention, and Healing Ceremony.

The Chicago Mayor’s Office of Community Safety (MOCS) presented the award in recognition of the team’s novel approach to presenting violence surveillance data in the City of Chicago.

Turning Data into Decisions

Violence prevention depends on timely, accurate information, but data only drives change when the people making decisions can understand and use it. Dr. Swedler and his team set out to close that gap by developing a new way of presenting violence surveillance data that puts policy-relevant information in the hands of city government decision makers.

By making complex data clearer and more actionable, their work helps city leaders see where violence is occurring, understand the patterns behind it, and respond with strategies grounded in evidence.

About the Ceremony

The Safety is Belonging ceremony, hosted by MOCS in partnership with the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) and CDPH, honors the people and programs working to reduce violence across Chicago. The second annual event took place on October 6, 2026 at the Malcolm X College Auditorium (1900 W Jackson Blvd), bringing together street outreach, victim services, and gender-based violence providers to recognize the success of violence reduction efforts in the city.

Dr. Swedler’s recognition highlights the growing role of public health surveillance in violence prevention. It also shows the value of treating data communication as an innovation in its own right, and of collaboration between public health agencies and city government. When epidemiologists and policymakers work together, surveillance data can move from reports to real-world action.

Congratulations, Dr. Swedler

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Swedler and his colleagues at the CDPH Bureau of Behavioral Health on this well-deserved honor. Their work is a strong example of how creative, data-driven approaches can support safer, healthier communities.