Established during the 2023 legislative session, the Safer Communities Program supports holistic, community-based strategies that address the root causes and conditions of community violence. Such strategies include:
- After-school programs and mentorships,
- Connections to education and economic opportunities,
- Case management for trauma-informed mental health care,
- Credible messengers and violence interrupters, and
- Strategies to build trust between law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders.
The Safer Communities Program encourages a multidisciplinary approach to address community violence by involving leaders from law enforcement, education, social services, housing, public health, and local government, among others. To facilitate this wide-ranging scope of work within each community, recipient localities are required to establish a new position dedicated to planning, implementing, and coordinating community violence reduction strategies; using existing violence reduction grants; and pursuing additional grant opportunities.
The General Assembly has selected the following localities to receive funding under this program:
The City of Norfolk The City of Portsmouth
The City of Richmond The City of Roanoke
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State General Funds Appropriation Grant
In accordance with Item 394, N.4.a, of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 2025-2026 biennial budget,
these funds are intended to support the SCP sites. Funds are to support holistic, community-based strategies that address the root causes and conditions of community violence within the localities selected by the General Assembly.