Statewide Violence Reduction Project

The Executive Office of the Governor of Delaware – Criminal Justice Council, in partnership with community partners, will utilize grant funds to implement a statewide gun violence reduction program. The statewide grant will fund the coordination and implementation of both intervention and prevention programs.

    The Statewide Violence Reduction project is an evidence based community public health approach focused on two main goals: the reduction of shooting incidents and homicides and changing community norms. The project takes a three-prong approach: 1. group violence intervention (GVI), 2. community-based intervention (relationship-based street outreach), and 3. hospital-based violence intervention programs. Each approach focuses resources on those at highest risk for engaging in deadly violence. Funds will directly serve a minimum of 200 individuals, those most likely to be either a victim or perpetrator in community gun violence. Funds will expand the scale of the existing program in New Castle County and increase access to this program including launching new programs in Kent and Sussex County.

    CJC will work in partnership with Social Contract, a Wilmington-based consulting firm that has served as a third-party convener of Delaware’s community gun violence reduction efforts. Subrecipients fitting into the three-prong categories will be selected through the CJC established request for solicitations and grant monitoring process to conduct the intervention and prevention programs.

    Intervention programs will demonstrate fidelity to an evidence-based model; engage those at highest risk in their services; and directly provide or refer such individuals to intensive case management. Prevention activities will address root causes of violence including but not limited to education and awareness raising; fostering coalitions and networks; community mobilization efforts; crime prevention by environmental design; and social norms campaigns. Prevention funding can be used to support positive development activities that decrease community gun violence risk factors and increase protective factors.

    Objectives are: 1. Provide capacity to grantees to hire and onboard staff within 60 days of award. 2. Launch new or expand existing evidence-based community gun violence intervention programs and prevention activities within 90 days of award. 3. Across grantees, connect at least 200 individuals identified at highest risk for engagement in community gun violence to support services. 4. Conduct a minimum of quarterly (as advised by the GVI model) call-ins, face to face meetings statewide during the grant period. 5. Increase statewide public safety by decreasing violent crime statewide in targeted areas by at least 10%. 6. Decrease shooting incidents by 10%.