WASHINGTON (DC News Now) -- D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser nominated Kwelli Sneed as the permanent director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) on Friday. The agency is tasked with preventing and intervening in gun violence. Sneed has been serving as the interim director since June of 2023, when the former director passed away. “I asked Kwelli to lead with one mission in mind: reduce shootings, save lives and help people along the way and she has delivered,” Bowser said. “I’m confident in her ability to achieve the short and long-term goals of the agency, to help us as a whole government reduce the impacts of gun violence, sustain those results and continue to reduce recidivism.” Bark Social files for bankruptcy, closes all locations across DMV Under Sneed’s leadership, Bowser said violent crime in the ONSE priority communities has reduced by 34% year to date. It’s one of the reasons the Mayor wants to elevate Sneed to the permanent position. Sneed has attributed the reduction in crime to better coordination. “Direct coordination with our violence interruption organizations. Sitting at the table, doing conflict mapping, understanding how to deploy the services better,” Sneed explained. “Also coordinating with our community leaders and advisors and saying, ‘What’s the temperature in our community?’” Sneed has served in various city government roles since 2007 including special assistant and deputy director of the department of transportation. Moving forward, she said there are plans at ONSE to make changes to better respond to gun violence. “We are moving to a ward-based approach to violence intervention to help bring safety to the entire city. We are strengthening our partnership with MPD and community leaders to identify where we should concentrate our efforts,” she explained.  Still, the agency hasn’t gone without scrutiny under her leadership. ONSE has been tied to the indictment of councilmember Trayon White, who is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for his influence on District contracts with both ONSE and the Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services. White pleaded not guilty. “This was not an indictment on ONSE or the work that ONSE does,” said Sneed. “We wake up every day to serve our residents and provide great services in violence interruption. And to our credit, we participate and work with any investigations that are asked. And I’d just like to add, I’m not under investigation.” Sneed’s nomination still requires council approval. A nomination hearing is scheduled for Dec. 2.