Today, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention convened over 80 leaders from state and local Offices of Violence Prevention (OVPs), representing 50 cities from across the country. The convening brought together key violence prevention leaders to:
- Share common challenges that their offices face;
- Identify what collaboration with local, state, and federal offices can and should look like;
- Discuss the importance of raising awareness around gun violence prevention work; and
- Receive information on federal resources available to the OVPs.
Today’s conversations build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s long record of empowering grassroots leaders, who know their communities, to intervene against and prevent crime.
Representatives from across the federal government highlighted the resources their agencies offer to support the work that local OVPs do. Job training and reentry services grants from the Department of Labor, funding for law enforcement to support the basic needs of victims in underserved communities from the Department of Justice, awards from the Department of Education to increase the number of qualified mental health service providers in schools, and much more. The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention amplified these resources to make them readily accessible for community leaders nationwide.
Today’s convening builds on President Biden’s and Vice President Harris’ historic investments in community violence intervention to prevent gun violence and save lives, particularly in communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the direct and indirect consequences of gun violence. The President’s American Rescue Plan has helped states and over one thousand cities, towns, and counties across the country to invest over $15 billion in public safety and violence prevention. Communities have invested those funds to support additional police officers, expand community violence intervention, add crisis responders, establish OVPs, and more. And today we are seeing real results: Cities around the country are experiencing historic declines in violent crime, and homicides are estimated to be down nationally 12% from 2022 to 2023.
The President continues to use every tool at his disposal to keep Americans safe from violent crime, including the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing communities apart nationwide. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the first significant gun safety law to pass in nearly 30 years – made $15 billion available for violence prevention. The Biden-Harris Administration also established the first ever federal grant program dedicated to supporting community violence intervention and agencies across the government have identified multiple funding sources that can be used for community violence intervention and community safety.
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