Title
Resolution to Amend the Fiscal Year 2023 Council Approved Budget to Accept and Appropriate $300,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) - Gun Violence Intervention Grant Program to Support the City's Efforts to Reduce Gun Violence
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
Disproportionate rates of gun violence occur in concentrated areas of the City amongst a limited group of actors and their associates, which threatens the community's fundamental right to life. Additionally, it negatively impacts perceptions of safety, obstructs the health and well-being of individuals, businesses, neighborhoods, and community stakeholders. Gun violence has additional ancillary effects including individual trauma, resident flight, and detracts revenue-generating companies from the City. From late November through early December 2021, the Office of Youth and Young Adult Opportunities fielded a survey created by researchers at Christopher Newport University's Center for Crime, Equity, and Justice Research and Policy (CCEJRP). The survey aimed to understand the community's perceptions of the causes and effects of crime and safety within the City with the goal of aligning the City's work with community needs.
The results of the survey identified unsupervised youth, drugs, and mental health/well-being as the top three contributors to crime. The survey further identified a considerable gap between residents knowing of available community resources and utilizing these resources as an additional barrier to safety. Last, survey participants shared widespread concerns about gun accessibility for high-risk individuals and crimes occurring at night. The Hampton Police Division (HPD) continues to track and maintain surveillance on vulnerable individuals most likely to shoot or be shot as well as monitor five traffic zones where firearm-related violence is prevalent: Langley Square Area, Shell Road Corridor, Old Wythe, Nickerson, and Magruder Heights. HPD will utilize this data-informed de...
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