NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The City of Newport News is preparing to launch a community safety initiative aimed at ending gun violence through supporting community-based organizations.
According to the city, its two-phased approach will first involve a comprehensive Gun Violence Community Assessment in partnership with Christopher Newport University's Center for Crime, Equity and Justice Research and Policy.
Findings from that assessment will help city leaders and the public understand the most pressing concerns around safety, as well as the root causes and effects of violence in the community.
The city will then work with CNU to create a grant program offering funding to qualified community-based organizations that present solutions to reduce gun violence.
A release from the city offered suggestions for what kinds of community-based organizations the grants will support, including those that connect individuals with a high risk for violence to education, employment and housing services; deter individuals at high risk for violence from engaging in gun violence; and provide mentoring, trauma-informed services and mental health supports to individuals impacted by gun violence.
The city's survey will be distributed in late March, and the grant application is expected to be released in June.
Community organizations are invited to provide their contact information and a brief description of their efforts using the Community Safety Initiative webpage. When the application is available, the city will send emails to the address provided.
