GOVERNOR RALPH NORTHAM ANNOUNCES GRANT FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
Today, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that the Department of Criminal Justice Services will provide grant funding for community violence intervention programs. A statement from Governor Northam specified that “in addition to funding evidence-based programs, localities can use these grants to develop comprehensive strategies to examine systemic issues in their communities that may be contributing to gun violence.”
Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz issued the following statement:
“We would like to thank Governor Northam and Secretary Moran for prioritizing funding for community violence intervention programs. Too often, the communities that are most impacted by gun violence — frequently communities of color — are overlooked or ignored in the gun violence prevention debate. Funding these community-based intervention programs is an important step towards preventing the day-to-day deaths and injuries we see in impacted communities — many of which never make headlines.”
Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Virginia State Director Lori Haas issued the following statement:
“By providing support for community violence intervention programs, Governor Northam and Secretary Moran have shown us they are committed to preventing gun violence in all its forms. Addressing gun violence in impacted communities and the root causes of such violence is vitally important. We applaud Governor Northam and Secretary Moran for taking a comprehensive approach to this issue and will continue to work with them to stop gun violence across the Commonwealth.”
Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Director of African-American and Community Outreach Kayla Hicks issued the following statement:
“Communities of color — especially young black men — are disproportionately affected by gun violence. But in these communities, gun violence and its root causes often go unaddressed. Today, Governor Northam and Secretary Moran took steps to change that by announcing grant funding for community violence intervention programs. This funding will allow localities to address both gun violence itself and the upstream factors that contribute to such violence. We are grateful to Governor Northam and Secretary Moran for taking this problem seriously and providing the resources to address gun violence in all Virginia’s communities.”
