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San Bernardino invests $750,000 in violence prevention efforts

Press-Enterprise - 6/5/2022

San Bernardino is boosting violence prevention efforts with $750,000 in federal coronavirus relief funds.

City leaders this week increased service agreements with HOPE Culture and Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy by $250,000 each, and approved a new $250,000 pact with Operation New Hope to help reduce crime and recidivism.

The moves come eight months after the City Council committed $1 million in American Rescue Plan money to the cause.

What to do with the remaining $250,000 will be decided at a later date.

Together, HOPE Culture, Young Visionaries and, now, Operation New Hope will provide supportive services to high-risk groups as part of the city’s Violence Intervention Program, a collaborative of community groups, schools and others that uses a multi-prong approach to reduce crime in town.

According to statistics provided to elected officials this week, at the end of last year, San Bernardino experienced a year-to-date 40% reduction in homicides resulting from conflicts between groups, which the city defines as  tagging crews or neighborhood youth that form organically. Additionally, the city ended 2021 with 28 group-related homicides, down from 47 the year before.

Since the Violence Intervention Program was introduced three-plus years ago, group-related homicides is down 16%, data show.

Service providers supported 159 individuals last year, while 80% of all program participants remain arrest free and have not become a victim of gun violence, according to the city.

Service coordination meetings, home visits and community engagement events aid the objective.

Bolstering violence-intervention efforts, policymakers said last year, should enhance and help provide safety.

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