A Toolkit for Cities: Building a Multi-Actor Local Prevention Framework

Appendices

Appendix A: Hate and Extremism Data Sources

Purpose

This resource provides cities with a curated, detailed list of national and local data sources to support the Needs and Vulnerabilities Assessment (NVA), particularly the threat identification phase. It preserves the level of specificity and hyperlinks from the original documents to ensure usability by future staff or partners.

A. Government Data (Geographic: national/state/local)

B. Non-Governmental Open-Source Data

C. Academic/Research Databases

D. Restricted / Subscription-Based Data (where accessible)

Appendix B: Recommended Questions for NVA Survey and Consultations

The goal of the surveys and consultations is to get a sense of the communities’ local knowledge, attitudes, needs and priorities related to hate and extremism prevention, with a view to better understand concerns, capacity gaps and available resources for improved local prevention. For best practices on conducting a survey, you can refer to the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s Best Practices for Survey Research guide. The demographic questions are slightly adapted from categories used by the US Census Bureau.

Part I. Demographics

Part II. Concerns on Hate and Targeted Violence and Thoughts on How to Address It

For clarity, we define ‘targeted violence’ as ‘any premeditated act of violence directed at a specific individual, group, or location, regardless of motivation.’

Appendix C: Potential Assets to be Leveraged for Hate and Extremism Prevention

Appendix D: ‘Vulnerability and Strength Index’ Sources & Indicators

I. Suggested Sources

Suggested data sources to assess communal vulnerability via demographic, socioeconomic, health, environmental and social metrics are listed below, arranged alphabetically. Supplementing proprietary city data with national, publicly available data where possible is suggested.

• American Community Survey, 5-year Estimates (US Census Bureau)
  The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities with a fresh look at how they are changing. It is a critical element in the Census Bureau’s reengineered decennial census program. The ACS collects and produces population and housing information every year and publishes both one-year and five-year estimates. ACS data can be used for measures of social and economic factors.
• American Values Atlas (PRRI)
  The American Values Atlas (AVA) provides information regarding the demographic, religious and cultural changes in the US, across multiple religious communities, all 50 states and 30 metro areas. Drawing on 50,000 annual telephone interviews, the AVA allows users to explore the differences and similarities between the US’s religious, political and demographic communities on specific topics, such as immigration, abortion, LGBTQ issues and others.
• Area Health Resource File (US Health Resources & Services Administration)                                                                                                                             
  The Area Health Resource File is a collection of data from more than 50 sources, including the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, US Census Bureau, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Center for Health Statistics. The American Medical Association maintains the Physician Masterfile, which contains information on nearly all doctors in the nation.
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (US Centers for Disease Control)
  The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a state-based telephone survey conducted annually across the country. Data obtained from the BRFSS are representative of each state’s total adult population and are weighted to reflect population distributions. Data from the BRFSS are used to measure various health behaviors and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) indicators in the Health Snapshots and downloadable datasets. HRQoL measures are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population.
• Community Assessment Reporting Tool (US Department of Housing and Urban Development)
  The Community Assessment Reporting Tool (CART) offers data on housing affordability, housing quality and homelessness at a local level.
• Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data (US Department of Housing and Urban Development)
  The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) periodically receives ‘custom tabulations’ of data from the US Census Bureau that are largely not available through standard Census products, known as ‘CHAS’ data. This data demonstrates the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low-income households and are used by local governments to plan how to spend HUD funds and may also be used by HUD to distribute grant funds.
• County Health Rankings (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute)
  The County Health Rankings, a collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, measure the health of nearly all counties in the nation and rank them within states. This feature layer contains County Health Rankings data for the nation, state and county levels. The Rankings are compiled using county-level measures from a variety of national and state data sources. 
• Demographic Data (Esri)
  Esri, a leading geographic information system (GIS) software firm, provides an Updated Demographics data file that represents the suite of annually updated US demographic data. The data provides current-year and five-year forecasts for 2,000+ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, a subset of which is included in this layer. Also included are a host of tables covering key characteristics of the population, households, housing, age, race and income.
• Easy Access to State and County Juvenile Court Case Counts (US Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
  Easy Access to State and County Juvenile Court Case Counts (EZACO) provides information about state and county juvenile court case counts for delinquency, status offence and dependency cases.
• Fatality Analysis Reporting System (US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) is a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes with a set of data files documenting all qualifying fatalities that occurred within the United States since 1975. To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle travelling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
• Local Area Unemployment Statistics (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment and labor force data for Census regions and divisions, states, counties, metropolitan areas and many cities by place of residence. The LAUS estimates are consistent with the national labor force and unemployment measures from the Current Population Survey.
• National Center for Education Statistics (Institute of Education Sciences)
  The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) fulfils a Congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyse and report complete statistics on the condition of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally. NCES is the primary federal entity responsible for collecting and analysing data related to education.
• National Center for Health Statistics – Mortality Files; Census Population Estimates Program (US Census Bureau)
  The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) provides birth and death data drawn from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). These data are submitted to the NVSS by the vital registration systems operated in the jurisdictions legally responsible for registering vital events (i.e., births, deaths, marriages, divorces and fetal deaths). The Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program (PEP) uses data on births, deaths and migration to estimate population changes occurring since the most recent census and produce a vintage, or annual time series of estimates. Each vintage includes the current data year and revised estimates for any earlier years since the last decennial census. Because each vintage of estimates includes all years since the most recent decennial census, the latest vintage supersedes all other estimates produced since the previous decennial census. See the Population Estimates Program methodology for statements and release notes for each vintage of population estimates.
• National Provider Identification (US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
  The National Provider Identification (NPI) Registry is a searchable database for medical providers’ National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) information.
• Muhammad Ali Index on Civility and Compassion (Muhammad Ali Center)
  To tackle the root causes of polarisation and hate and cultivate kinder, more resilient, more compassionate communities, the Muhammad Ali Index on Civility and Compassion is the first rigorous, data-driven study to measure the state of civility and compassion in America today. The goal of this research is to monitor the cultural trends shaping civility and compassion in cities across America and develop data-backed recommendations to empower local partners to have a meaningful social impact. As of 2024, the Index is being piloted in 12 cities nationwide –Louisville, KY; San Antonio, TX; Denver, CO; New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Las Vegas, NV; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Atlanta, GA; Seattle, WA; Phoenix, AR; and Jacksonville, FL – and will also include national compassion data that will be relevant for all cities. The Center has plans to expand the Index to more cities in 2025.
• Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (US Census Bureau)
  The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program produces estimates of health insurance coverage for all states and counties. SAHIE releases estimates of health insurance coverage by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin and income categories at the state level and by age, sex and income categories at the county level.
• Small Business Administration data (Small Business Administration)
  Small Business Administration (SBA) offers data on small business activity in given locations, which can indicate local economic resilience.
• Social Vulnerability Index (US Centers for Disease Control)
  The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) measures the social vulnerability of US counties based on 15 social factors, including poverty, lack of vehicle access and crowded housing.
• Surveys of Consumer Finance (US Federal Reserve)
  The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is a triennial cross-sectional survey of US families. The survey data include information on families’ balance sheets, pensions, income and demographic characteristics.

II. Suggested Indicators for Analysis

Appendix E: Template for Stakeholder Directory

Appendix F: List of Potential Stakeholders (by sector)

Appendix G: Sample Emails for Initial Outreach

Appendix H: Strong Cities Pilot Initiative Participation Guidelines

Our city is working with Strong Cities – a global network of 275+ cities dedicated to addressing hate, extremism and polarisation – on an exciting initiative to prevent and respond to these challenges in our communities. The two-year initiative – which is supported by a grant from the Department of Homeland Security, through its Center on Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) – is allowing Strong Cities to work with six (6) small and mid-sized US cities to develop local hate/extremism strategies.

To help ensure that the strategies – from their design to their implementation – are city-led and owned, each of the six cities will convene a Local Leadership Group (LLG). The LLG is a temporary working group drawn from a diverse set of government and non-governmental stakeholders representative of the local community. Members can include local government officials; community and/or religious leaders; social workers, mental, behavioural and other health professionals; educators; civil society organisations; county/state/federal officials; and local police and/or other public safety officials.

The LLG will be responsible for devising a local prevention strategy to address hate, extremism and polarisation in the community. (It will then be responsible for implementing the strategy, as part of a City Prevention Team.) Throughout the process, the LLG will be working with the Strong Cities team and its pool of subject matter experts – including one designated specifically for each city’s LLG – to facilitate and provide guidance. The LLG will also be able to benefit from lessons learned and good practices from other cities around through world, which Strong Cities captures on its resource hub, including its recently-published prevention guides and City Spotlights.

As an initial step, the LLG will convene for a series of Strong Cities-led briefings/training modules to learn more about approaches to developing a prevention strategy and conduct a needs and vulnerability assessment to ascertain local needs and available resources. LLG members will also be asked to complete periodic surveys to track knowledge gains and project progress.

The pilot initiative will conclude on September 30, 2025. However, Strong Cities will remain an engaged partner with the City Prevention Team and the city following the conclusion of the project, including helping to ensure the sustained implementation of the strategy. 

What are the expected roles and responsibilities for each LLG member and the anticipated timeframe for each?

At this stage, timeframes are notional. They are subject to change based on the desired pacing by the city and the LLG. With that caveat, here are the anticipated timeframes, along with LLG member roles and responsibilities.

Months 1-4

Over the course of about four months, LLG members will attend an introductory session, followed by a series of five modules, which will be delivered virtually. The introductory session and Module 1 will convene each city’s LLG individually. Modules 2-5 will be delivered to LLGs of all participating pilot cities together. To ensure a local focus, however, we will schedule a city-specific 60-minute follow-up discussion/active learning session for each of these latter modules.

• Module 1: Community Cohesion & Safety Briefing (90 minutes)

• Module 2: Multi-Actor Coordination (60 minutes)

• Module 3: Community Engagement (60 minutes)

• Module 4: Community-Based Prevention Programmes (60 minutes)

• Module 5: Referral Mechanisms, Behavioural Threat Assessment and Management and Ongoing Provision of Psychosocial and Other Support (60 minutes)

Months 5-7

With assistance from Strong Cities and its pool of subject matter experts, the LLG will conduct a consultative local needs and vulnerability assessment. For LLG members, this will include helping administer community surveys to assess local knowledge, attitudes, needs and priorities related to prevention. It will also include consultations and informal dialogue between LLG members and their peers to understand capacity gaps and needs for improved local prevention.

The LLG will convene at least monthly for about 60 minutes to discuss findings, progress and next steps.

Months 8-9

Based on local needs, the LLG – together with Strong Cities – will develop and adopt a local prevention strategy to address hate, extremism and polarisation. While all strategies will contain certain core elements informed by internationally recognised good practices, the LLG will determine the approach and components specific to the identified needs of the city, building on and/or reinforcing relevant efforts that might already exist locally.

The LLG will convene at least once each month for about 60 minutes to develop and finalise the LPF.

Months 10-24

With Strong Cities’ support, the interim LLG will dissolve and transition itself into a City Prevention Team, with the likely addition of new stakeholders, in accordance with the strategy outlined by the LLG. The City Prevention Team will be responsible for implementing this strategy and monitoring progress. Over 12 months, team members will raise awareness of its existence and deliver and monitor the activities of its prevention strategy.

The City Prevention Team will check in with Strong Cities about biweekly (via email and/or a 30-60 minute meeting) to identify challenges and successes with implementation, as well as identify and manage risks and any additional needs of the City Prevention Team and/or the communities it serves.

Towards the end of the project, Strong Cities’ active support for the City Prevention Team will slowly decrease. This will involve final consultations to review the successes and challenges of the initial implementation of the prevention strategies and to understand the City Prevention Team’s outstanding needs. Strong Cities will provide the City Prevention Team with recommendations it can use to refine its plan as it continues its implementation after this programme’s lifespan. The City Prevention Team will also remain connected to the Strong Cities North America Regional Hub, which will serve as a help desk for the city as it seeks to sustain its efforts to prevent hate, extremism and polarisation.

Throughout the project (Months 1-24)

LLG/City Prevention Team members will complete up to five brief surveys towards the beginning, middle and end of the project to track knowledge gains and sense of project progress. Participation in these surveys is incredibly important to the project and valuable to the city. It helps capture LLG member experiences and insights that will inform and improve the project as well as future efforts after the pilot is completed.

Affirmation of Commitment

After reading the material above, I understand the role of the LLG/City Prevention Team and my responsibilities as a member. I commit, to the best of my ability, to be an active and engaged member of the LLG/City Prevention Team and participate to the fullest extent possible through at least through [Month 24].

Signature: ____________________

Name: _______________________

Affiliation: ____________________

Date: ________________________