Substitute
Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Chief Executive Office
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All
To Appropriate $1,000,000 from American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funds for the Youth Safety & Violence Prevention Grant Initiative
Body
Information Contact: CEO Michael L. Thurmond
Phone Number: 404 371-2881
PURPOSE:
To appropriate $1,000,000 from American Rescue Plan (ARP) fund for the Youth Safety & Violence Prevention Grant Initiative.
NEED/IMPACT:
Homicides and other violent crimes, particularly among teens and young adults, constitute a serious problem within DeKalb County; and violent crime poses an immediate threat to the health, safety, and quality of life of the residents of DeKalb County.
Violent crime is a public health crisis that demands the collective attention of policymakers, service providers, community-based organizations, and residents throughout the County. Many social factors influence violent crimes, especially among high-risk communities that are challenged with low education and income, high levels of unemployment, and limited health and social resources. This greatly contributes to community violence among teens and young adults.
Involvement in certain community-based programs, particularly those that educate, support, assist, and employ teens and young adults, has been shown to reduce homicides and other violent crimes among teens and young adults. Efforts of community-based programs can support and compliment government efforts to reduce homicides and other violent crimes among teens and young adults.
The DeKalb County Governing Authority believes the County’s efforts to combat violent crime will be supported and complemented by providing funding to certain community-based organizations, particularly those that educate, support, assist, and employ teens and young adults, for the purpose of reducing and combatting homicides and violent crimes among teens and young adults.
Pursuant to the police powers of Dekalb County Governing Authority to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of DeKalb County residents, the attached resolution declares homicides and other violent crime, particularly among teens and young adults, to be a public health crisis within the jurisdiction of the County and authorizes the appropriation of $1,000,000 in ARP funds to the Youth Safety & Violence Prevention Grant Initiative to be disbursed to certain community-based organizations, particularly those that educate, support, assist, and employ teens and young adults, for the purpose of reducing and combatting homicides and violent crimes among teens and young adults. This initiative will be implemented using a modified version of the Human Services Grant Program’s process and procedures.
Eligible uses of ARP funds to combat violent crime are as follows:
• Behavior health services
• Services to improve employment opportunities
• Services to address educational disparities in disproportionately impacted communities
• Community violence intervention programs
• Evidence-based practices like focused deterrence, street outreach, violence interrupters and hospital-based violence intervention models, complete with wraparound services such as behavioral therapy, trauma recovery, job training, education, housing and relocation services, and financial assistance
• Capacity-building efforts at community violence intervention programs like funding more intervention workers, increasing their pay, providing training and professional development for intervention workers, and hiring and training workers to administer the programs
FISCAL IMPACT:
This agenda item appropriates $1,000,000 from the ARP reserves to fund the Youth Safety & Violence Prevention Grant Initiative.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve the resolution and authorize the chief executive officer to execute all necessary documents.