TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Douglas J. Hewett, City Manager
FROM: Gina V. Hawkins, Chief of Police
Brook Redding, Special Projects Manager
DATE: June 27, 2022
RE:
Title
Violent Crime Advocate Program - ARPA Funding
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal I: Safe and Secure Community
Goal III: City investment in today and tomorrow
Goal IV: Desirable Place to Live, Work, and Recreate
Goal VI: Collaborative Citizen and Business Engagement
Executive Summary:
Council is asked to allocate $375,400 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the Violent Crime Advocate Program. The Violent Crime Advocate Program is a community-based public safety initiative that has shown results in decreasing violent crime in many cities across the nation. Council previously funded the program in FY22. The Fayetteville Police department is pursuing federal grants to expand and sustain the program. The ARPA project provides a unique opportunity to support community-based public safety initiatives under its final rule.
Background:
Violent Crime Advocate Program
In order to build the community’s capacity to create complementary strategies with law enforcement, partners from multiple sectors working directly with communities to decrease inequities and increase resiliency and wellbeing are required. The Violent Crime Advocate program will develop action plans to strategize on education and training related to conflict resolution, mediation training, and de-escalation strategies to resolve conflicts. The program works to build and establish relationships with stakeholders of the community to address the inequities of the community and increase resiliency. The Violent Crime Advocate program will leverage actual members of the community with experience and credibility to disrupt the cycle of violence in Fayetteville communities.
The program will conduct outreach meetings within the local Fayetteville and Cumberland County communities, working to prevent acts of violence by prevention and education. This requires several activities:
• Developing relationships with influential individuals and stakeholders in the community
• Maintaining documentation of public encounters, programs, and activities
• Building a team of individuals that can participate in violence prevention efforts with other providers
• Identifying individuals who may be at risk for being involved in violent activities
• Distribute public education materials to a targeted audience for violence reduction in the community
• Plan, provide, attend, and administer program-related training and other services offered by the City of Fayetteville and County of Cumberland
Issues/Analysis:
None
Budget Impact:
Council previously allocated the ARPA Project funds into four areas:
• Economic Assistance to Small Businesses
• Affordable Housing and Community Livability
• CIP/TIP, Infrastructure & Strategic Opportunities
• City Staff Administrative
This project is an eligible ARPA expense.
Options:
• Authorize staff to fund the Violent Crime Advocate Program (VCAP) using ARPA project funds
• Do not authorize staff to fund VCAP using ARPA project funds and provide further direction
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends that Council authorize staff to fund VCAP using ARPA project funds.
Attachments:
None