Every day in our Central Florida neighborhoods there are more and more victims of violent crime, many of which involve a firearm.   As a result, Operation Cease-Fire, a gun violence prevention program, was implemented in Brevard and Seminole counties in 2002 through a partnership of the Office of State Attorney Norm Wolfinger, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, and local, state, and federal law enforcement, to pursue gun crimes in both state and federal court.

The first Rap Against Violence contest came about in 2005 when State Attorney Norm Wolfinger decided we needed to do more to get our community talking and moving to action to address gun violence in our neighborhoods.  Merging the right message-put the guns down or do hard crime for gun crime-with the right messenger-our winning rappers-through an unconventional partnership between the State Attorney’s Office, 102 Jamz, Orlando’s leading hip-hop station, and Bright House Networks, we set out to influence a positive change of ideas and behavior in the Central Florida community.  Former Indianapolis Colts’ head football Coach Tony Dungy said it best at his son’s funeral when he stated:

“Our boys are getting a lot of wrong messages about what it means to be a man in this world, and how to act. Those sending the right message must become even bolder as positive role models for our youth.”

With the production and distribution of over 10,000 free copies of the first CD, along with 10 rap video public service announcements shown over 2,500 times on major cable channels, the project was a phenomenal success.  But we knew we could not rest on past accomplishments while our citizens were being terrorized by violent predators.  This led to the start of our second contest in 2007 which was designed to reach into the homes, hearts, and minds of the community to spread a word-of mouth epidemic against gangs and gun violence.

DND – Develop Not Destroy – is the message of Vol. 2, and carries with it the challenge to hip hop artists as well as community members to Step Up and Speak Out against gun violence and the culture of witness intimidation.  This time, over 12,500 CD’s were produced and they continue to be distributed throughout Central Florida.  As before, 10 new rap videos with a strong crime prevention message were played over youth oriented channels by Bright House Networks.

State Attorney Norm Wolfinger now puts forth two challenges:

First, we challenge you-Miami Metro, Tampa-St. Pete, Gainesville, Jacksonville, and all throughout the state of Florida, to join us in spreading this word-of-mouth epidemic against gang and gun violence by holding similar hip-hop contests.

Second, we challenge the hip-hop community to change direction and use your tremendous talents and creativity to also address real problems and real solutions in the community.

It’s “DND” time:  develop our communities not destroy them.

Your influence can have a huge impact on making that happen.

Are you willing to make a difference?  We think many of you are.