Richmond Police Department''s Violent Crime Initiative

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), furthers the Department's mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and assisting communities in preventing drug abuse and crime. In fiscal year 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories: 1) targeting violent crime; 2) preventing crime and drug abuse; 3) enhancing local law enforcement; 4) enhancing local courts; 5) enhancing local corrections and offender reentry; and 6) facilitating justice information sharing. All categories combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime.

In April of 2005, the City of Richmond Police Department established the Cooperative Violence Reduction Partnership (CVRP) with federal partners in an effort to reduce violent crime in the City of Richmond. The CVRP is a formal partnership with established reporting guidelines and regularly scheduled meetings. The CVRP membership includes: the Richmond Police Department; the U.S. Attorney's Office; the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney's Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency; the Virginia Probation and Parole Office; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Virginia Attorney General's Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigations; and, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The City of Richmond will use the Byrne Discretionary Category One Targeting Violent Crime grant funds to: target offenders of commercial and noncommercial robberies; prosecute these offenders on the federal level; purchase equipment focusing on cell phone robberies; and, train eight robbery detectives to handle the analysis of robbery incidents.

CA/NCF