Commerce strategies to reduce community firearm violence

February 5, 2024
OFSVP

Funding strategies to reduce community firearm violence

Community firearm violence can be generally described as deliberate acts of interpersonal violence in public spaces by a person or persons not intimately related to the victim. This type of firearm violence occurs in a small number of neighborhoods among a small number of individuals. In Washington and elsewhere, community gun violence has a dramatically disproportionate impact on young boys and men in urban communities of color.

Since the office was launched, OFSVP has distributed grant funds to support local efforts to reduce community gun violence through planning, prevention and intervention programming in communities throughout Washington. Intervention strategies are more immediate and interface with the populations and communities at highest risk for being victims or perpetrators of firearm violence. Prevention strategies have a broader reach and touch at risk populations who may not yet – but could be anticipated to be – engaged in firearm violence. Community gun violence is a very particular problem with an increasing number of emerging data-based mitigation measures.

The cost of effective prevention and intervention is small compared with the taxpayer-funded healthcare and law enforcement costs associated with community gun violence. (The Economic Cost of Gun Violence | Everytown Research & Policy).

Firearm Violence Intervention Strategies

Community violence intervention (CVI) programs connect community resources to the people who need those resources most, addressing the root causes of gun violence holistically. CVI programs focus on reaching the small number of people who are most connected to local cycles of violence. See Frequently Asked Questions About Community-Based Violence Intervention Programs – Center for American Progress. There are a suite of emerging evidence-based intervention and prevention practices to intervene in firearm violence. Preparing for Success: Implementation Considerations for Community-Based Violence Intervention (youtube.com).

Using state funding, current 2024-2025 OFSVP intervention grants include support for:

Harborview Medical Center, $1,639,190 ($819,595/fiscal yr.), statewide
Walk about Yakima Program, $1,470,000 ($735,000/fiscal yr.), City of Yakima
Community Passageways, $1,470,000 ($735,000 per year), South King County
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, $1,140,000 ($570,000/fiscal yr.), South King County
East African Community Services, $300,000 ($150,000/fiscal yr.), Seattle
Port of Support & Pathway to Success, $300,000 ($150,000/fiscal yr.), Olympia region
Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition, $297,275 ($148,637/fiscal yr.), Spokane region
Community Mediation Services, $700,000 ($350,000/fiscal yr.), Clark County
Dispute Resolution Services of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties, $700,000 ($350,000/fiscal yr.), Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties
Public Health Seattle and King County, $700,000 ($350,000/fiscal yr.), King County (Regional Peacekeepers Collective)
Public Health Seattle & King County, $400,000 ($200,000/fiscal yr.), King County (CVI Training Academy)

To better ensure the success of the supported intervention efforts, OFSVP has contracted with researchers from the University of Washington Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program to ensure evidence- based reporting from and evaluations of the funded programs.

To receive notice about new funding opportunities, sign up for email updates from the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention.

Firearm Violence Prevention Strategies

Prevention strategies have a broad reach and touch at risk populations who are often youth who may not yet – but could be anticipated to be – engaged in firearm violence. Using state funding, current fiscal year 2024-2025 OFSVP prevention grants include support for:

Using state funding, current 2024-2025 OFSVP prevention grants include support for:

Virginia Mason Chi Franciscian, $3,325,000 ($1,662,500/fiscal yr.) South King County
Yakima Valley Gang Violence Project, $712,500 ($356,250/fiscal yr.) Yakima County – Grandview, Sunnyside, Granger, Toppenish, and Wapato
Together! for Youth, $400,000 ($200,000/fiscal yr.), Chelan and Douglas Counties
Separately, the Community Law Enforcement Partnership program administered by Commerce fosters community engagement – and violence prevention – through neighborhood organizing, law enforcement and community partnerships, youth mobilization, and business engagement.

Firearm Violence Reduction Planning Strategies

The most effective solutions to crime and violence come from community. In Washington, there is a tremendous support at the community level to engage in collaboration to keep neighborhoods and families safer from firearm violence. As matter of best practices, OFSVP encourages communities to develop collaborative, overreaching violence reduction strategies designed with sustainability in mind. Experts recommend communities consider all of the intervention and prevention strategies available to identify interwoven steps that will work best given the particular local culture and problems.

Using state funding, current 2024-2025 OFSVP planning grants include support for:

Citizens for Safe Yakima Valley Communities, $400,000 ($200,000/fiscal yr.), Yakima Valley
Excelsior Wellness, $400,000 ($200,000/fiscal/yr.), Spokane County
Tacoma-Pierce Health Department, $400,000 ($200,000/fiscal yr.), Pierce County

This page describes the federal Department of Justice’s Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative. Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative | Office of Justice Programs (ojp.gov). The implementation checklist, in particular, can be helpful for organizations and communities just getting started: Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) | Implementation Checklist | Bureau of Justice Assistance (ojp.gov). The checklist describes how to “customize the [violence reduction] strategies so that they meet the needs, issues, and priorities of the local community. [Community Violence Intervention] is not a model that can be easily replicated or implemented in a one-size-fits-all manner.”