This guest post is submitted by over fifty former staff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Violence Prevention.

On Aug. 8, a gunman targeted CDC’s Roybal Campus in an act of violence fueled by vaccine disinformation and the vilification of federal workers. As former scientists and public health professionals in CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, our mission was to prevent this exact kind of harm. The irony is devastating: The very experts trained to understand, interrupt and prevent this kind of violence were among those whose jobs were eliminated in the April 1 federal government reduction-in-force.

We urge Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Susan Monarez, PhD, the newly appointed CDC director, to recognize the shortsightedness of these reductions. With her deep public health experience and understanding of how structural decisions impact real lives, Dr. Monarez is uniquely positioned to advocate for the full reinstatement of division staff and the restoration of our programs.

For nearly 40 years, the Division of Violence Prevention has led efforts to prevent community violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse and neglect — including child sex trafficking — and adverse childhood experiences, all of which are foundational to public safety.

We have proven that violence is preventable, and we have built national capacity to do that work, as directed by Congress with bipartisan support for decades. Further, preventing violence before it happens saves taxpayer dollars.

Our work is the reason communities have trauma-informed crisis response teams, youth violence prevention programs, data-driven strategies to reduce firearm-related injuries, and sustained support for sexual assault prevention coalitions in every state and territory.

Cutting this work now, especially after the horrific and tragic shooting that killed Dekalb County Police Officer David Rose and trapped our children in the on-site daycare center into the night while targeting federal employees, is not just harmful — it is negligent.

We call on CDC leadership and elected officials to:

• Defend science and public health: Publicly defend the role of federal violence prevention experts and acknowledge that attacks on public health workers are attacks on the nation’s safety.

• Reinstate Division of Violence Prevention staff: Bring back the violence prevention expertise — researchers, subject matter experts, evaluators and programmatic guidance — that was eliminated by the reduction in force so the nation does not lose irreplaceable capacity and progress in the evidence-based prevention of violence.

• Release funds already approved by Congress and promised to communities: Unfreeze fiscal year 2025 funds for violence prevention research and programs –including those to prevent firearm violence, youth violence and childhood trauma, so communities can continue life-saving programs without interruption.

• Prioritize the public’s health and safety over politics: Ensure future RIFs and reorganizations are guided by public health impact, not political expediency. Violence is a leading cause of death in the U.S. Violence prevention is not a luxury — it is a necessity.

Silence in the face of violence is complicity. We ask Sec. Kennedy, Dr. Monarez and all our leaders in public health and public policy to speak clearly and act boldly. Protect the people who protect the public. The safety of our communities, our colleagues and our country depends on it.

Photo by Almintang, courtesy iStockphoto