Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and City Councilman Ricky Burgess outlined a new approach to fighting crime today, modeled on an effort that pushed violence down dramatically in Boston a decade ago and has been used in numerous cities since.

Dubbed the Pittsburgh Initiative to Reduce Crime, the push is to be guided by Professor David Kennedy, of the City University of New York. He was a key strategist behind Boston's Operation Ceasefire when he was on Harvard University's staff.

Today he portrayed his strategy in simple terms: Identify the worst criminal groups responsible for more than half of the violence, tell them that violence won't be tolerated and that there are other options and then follow through.

There will be sit-down meetings with key criminal "gangs, drug crews, sets, posses," said Mr. Kennedy. Police officials, ex-offenders and other community elders will be key emissaries. The message: "Our promise to you is, after we have this meeting, the first group that kills somebody, pack your toothbrush, because we're rolling you all up," he said. "You punish the entire group ... They start policing themselves."

To work, the approach requires coordination between all law enforcement agencies, researchers who can identify patterns in crime data, and social services like employment and drug counseling.

"The heavy lifting is putting that partnership together," said Mr. Kennedy. There will be a formal plan crafted that should be available to the public, he said.

Mr. Ravenstahl said the effort should start having an impact on the streets within six months. Community organizing starts with a series of meetings today.

"For me, reducing gun violence is not about politics," said Mr. Burgess, who campaigned last year on a pledge to bring the Boston approach here. "My mother-in-law was shot and killed ... The mayor and I want a future for Pittsburgh that is free from fear and full of hope."

Mr. Onorato pledged to take the approach countywide so criminals know they "can't just jump over and avoid this program we're putting together today."

In Boston, some of the keys were collaboration between city, county and federal law enforcement on hard-hitting responses to gang violence and on suppressing the illegal gun trade. Police were assigned to small areas so they could get to know the people better. Parole officers worked with police to get the word out that the city was serious, and to punish entire gangs for flare-ups.

The results, according to the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's studies, included a 71 percent decrease in homicides by people under 25 years old, and an overall 70 percent drop in gun assaults.

Mr. Kennedy has worked with San Francisco, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Baltimore and other cities.

"If it is done with reasonable goodwill and if it is kept in place, you will get these too-good-to-be-true results," he said.

Mr. Ravenstahl has pledged $160,000 in city funds and Mr. Burgess $40,000 in council funds toward the costs of retaining Mr. Kennedy and the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work, which will participate in the research component.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.