Tio Hardiman, Executive Director for Violence Interrupters, NFP, Two Time Gubernatorial Candidate, and Former Presidential Candidate, has dedicated his life and career to community organizing for peace and social change. In 1999, Mr. Hardiman joined CeaseFire, an award-winning public health model that has been scientifically proven to reduce shootings and killings. In 2004, Tio created the Violence Interrupters Initiative. In 2004, under Tio’s direction, CeaseFire received additional funding from the State of Illinois to immediately expand from 5 to 15 communities and from 20 to 130 Outreach Workers and Violence Interrupters. The Violence Interrupters are a specialty unit of violence intervention experts that work to mediate conflict on the “front-end.” Their reputation and connections in the community provide them with access to leaders and influential decision makers in street organizations. As testament to the success of this program overall, homicides declined in Chicago by 25 percent in 2013, to a total of 426. This was the fewest number of homicides in the city since 1965. In 2015, Tio implemented the Violence Interrupter Program in Freeport, IL and no homicides were recorded in the City of Freeport during the period of February 2015-February 2016. In April 2016-2019 Violence Interrupters, NFP started working in Springfield, Ohio. In 2024, Violence Interrupters are currently working in South Austin, West Garfield, East Garfield, Auburn Gresham, South Shore, Chatham, and several communities in Chicago. Tio Hardiman currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at North Park University in the Field of Criminal Justice and Restorative Justice.
