As President, Biden has promised Billions of Dollars, in Funding for Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Programs, that have been shown to break Cycles-of-Violence.
This summer, the White House announced a 15-Jurisdiction CVI Collaborative, a Group of Mayors, Law Enforcement, CVI Experts, and Philanthropic Leaders, who are working over the next 18 months, to Improve their Jurisdictions’ CVI Infrastructure and Add to the body of Evidence supporting these Programs.
The Departments of Treasury and Education, announced this Summer, that Two Buckets of American Rescue Plan Funding, $350 Billion in Flexible State and Local Funding, and $122 Billion in School Funding, could be used for CVI Initiatives. States and Localities have Committed at least $1 Billion of the Funding toward CVI so far, according to an Estimate from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Biden Proposed an additional $5 Billion in CVI Funding this Spring in his Build Back Better Agenda, an amount of Money that was unattainable years ago, as Activists Failed to Secure Figures closer to $600 Million.
With the grunt work of Activists and Government Officials, in particular, The Fund Peace Coalition, a Group of Organizations looking to solve Violence, which has worked closely with the White House’s Domestic Policy Council (DPC), to construct the CVI Investment in the President’s Social Spending Plan. The White House has stayed in frequent Contact with Members of the Coalition, often holding Meetings led by: DPC Director, Susan Rice; Cedric Richmond, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; and sometimes even Biden.
But beyond Committed Personnel, there was a Policy Concept that could very well Change the Course of Gun Violence in a Nation plagued by it. Community Violence Intervention is about Breaking the Cycle of Violence. The Term, now widely used in the Gun Violence Prevention world, was coined by Activists on the ground, who saw their Work as a Community-driven effort. The Universal Term gained popularity in the last few years, with Changing Phrases like Urban Gun Violence Prevention to Community Violence Intervention in 2019.
These Programs provide individuals with Trauma-Informed Care, and Connect People to Social Services like Counseling, Education Programs, and Employment Opportunities.
When Erica Ford, the Founder of LIFE Camp, Inc., One of the Nation’s Top Community Violence Intervention Programs, talks about the Impact she’s seen CVI have in her own Community, she tells the story of a current Staff Member. The young man Lost Three friends to Gun Violence in One day. She remembers his Pained Voice on the other end of the phone line, telling her he wanted to “kill the world.” Ford and other Team Members pulled up to his house in their 35-foot Recreational Vehicle they call the “Peace Mobile,” and she told him and his Mother they wouldn’t leave until he came outside. “And we didn’t. And we were able to bring him in and begin the process of healing for him, transformation for him and developing the leadership skills to impact his friends,” said Ford, another Member of Biden’s 2013 Task Force. “So transforming his life was able to save at least 300 lives between the last two years that he’s been part of our organization.”
From Ford’s Perspective, the idea of Tackling the Root Causes of Gun Violence in Urban Communities wasn’t on Biden’s Radar Eight years ago. It wasn’t on Washington’s Radar. “Their intentionality wasn’t to address the killings of Black and brown children, because that wasn’t something that could get you votes. That wasn’t something that could get you campaign dollars. That wasn’t something that can electrify your constituents,” said Ford, who has played a Major Role in the Fund Peace Coalition’s Push for CVI Funding in Biden’s Infrastructure Package.
After Sandy Hook, the Vice President was tapped by President Obama to run Point on Gun Policy Overhauls. It was the Centerpiece of the Administration’s response to the Shooting, and it came after Obama had left the Issue of Gun Control nearly Untouched from the Start of his Presidency.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who has made Gun Control One of his Top Priorities, has been witness to Biden’s Breakthroughs and Failures on Gun Control. He was there when the Senate Defeated those post-Sandy Hook Legislative efforts.
Another advocate, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), has seen CVI at work in his own State. He praised the White House’s “expansion” of its Gun Control Response. “Gun violence, we need to address it from every angle and keep pushing. We will push on all fronts … but this focus on community-based interventions has to be part of the overall strategy,” Van Hollen said..
Even some Republicans in Congress have been Open to the idea of CVI, as long as it was kept out of the traditional Infrastructure Bill, and Not framed as Anti-Gun.
This transformation is theRresult of years of Advocacy Work, but it’s also about who’s at the Table, said Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United, a National Network focused on Eliminating Violence in Cities related to African American Men and Boys. Biden has Advisers like Rice and Richmond, Two Leaders who have been Advocates for CVI, in his ear. His Cabinet has Former Mayors like Marty Walsh and Pete Buttigieg, who have seen CVI at work in their Communities. “They all had to be educated by their community members too and pushed,” Smith said. “And sometimes the stars align.”
This work is a silver lining in the Biden Administration’s Gun Control Agenda. But the possibility of Turbo-cCarging it with a $5 Billion Infusion remains in limbo without a Finalized Deal on Biden’s Social Spending Framework. The Framework released last week mentions an Investment in CVI, and House Democrats released New Text Tuesday. for the Build Back Better Bill, which included the Full $5 Billion in CVI Funding. Even if the House Votes on the Bill, the Text will once again be up for Negotiation in the Senate, potentially facing more Changes and Cuts.
A White House Official said, last week, that the President is Committed to Supporting this Work, though the Official wouldn’t say whether the $5 Billion will be Cut down or Nixed all together, with Negotiations still in flux. The Official emphasized that the Administration has Funded CVI through other Means like the American Rescue Plan. The Official added that while CVI is Key to the White House’s approach, the Administration has addressed Community Violence in other ways, like when the Justice Department (DOJ) announced its Zero-Tolerance Policy to Revoke Federal Licenses from Firearms Dealers who willfully Violate Gun Laws.
Still, Activists see this CVI-specific Pot-of-Money as a Big Deal in Advancing their Mission. And it appears the White House does as well.
Cities and States haven’t always been Successful in Distributing Funds, from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), for other Domestic Programs. A Key Difference in the Build Back Better Framework, with the ARP Money, Mayors will Oversee those Programs and they’ll choose the Investment. But CVI is going to run it out of the Federal Government, making sure that People get Access to the Funding.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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