Green Bay Awarded $1M for Office of Violence Prevention Print
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Written by Green Bay City Staff   
Friday, 31 March 2023 09:12

gb-policeNew office will focus on neighborhoods, the disruption caused by crime, tracking contributing factors, researching incidents with high likelihood of retaliation, developing reduction strategies, identifying at-risk individuals, conducting outreach, and increasing resident resiliency.


GREEN BAY, WI - The City of Green Bay is pleased to share that it has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) - Wisconsin Community Safety Fund (WCSF) in partnership with the state of Wisconsin to be used towards creating and sustaining an Office of Violence Prevention (OVP).

Green Bay is the first grant recipient to be publicly announced. MCW will be making additional announcements in the coming weeks.

tony-evers“For too long, our communities have been asked to do more with less as public safety costs over the last decade have increased while state aid to local communities has been cut or held flat. Folks, that’s not safe or sustainable,” said Governor Tony Evers. “Our communities should be able to meet unique and basic needs alike, including investing in public safety. I want to thank Mayor Genrich for his continued advocacy for additional resources to support the city of Green Bay and his commitment to helping prevent violence and keep this community safe.”

The OVP will be a part of the Department of Community & Economic Development. Under the leadership of a program director, the office will focus on neighborhoods to address disruption caused by crime through deterrence, tracking underlying contributing factors, researching incidents with high likelihood of retaliation, developing reduction strategies, identifying at-risk individuals, conducting street outreach, and increasing resiliency in residents.

eric-genrich“We are grateful to Governor Evers for understanding the need for this kind of support in communities across the state of Wisconsin,” said Mayor Eric Genrich. “With these resources we will be able to address the root causes of community violence, ease the burden borne by our police officers, and enhance the safety of all Green Bay’s neighborhoods.”

In recent years, Green Bay and communities around the country have seen an uptick in anti-social behaviors and some violent crimes. In response, the City of Green Bay retained the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) to provide an analysis of violent crime in the community. The NICJR report recommended several strategies, including the need for greater investment in community-based services often provided by an OVP.

“We are committed to stopping gun violence in our community. The OVP approach is an emerging best practice for interrupting the cycle of violence and preventing the harm caused by violent crime. This grant is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Green Bay,” said Chief Chris Davis, City of Green Bay Police Department.

The awarded grant is expected to fund the OVP during its first three years.

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The Wisconsin Community Safety Fund (WCSF) was created to support local, evidence-informed activities the enhance the safety and wellbeing of children, youth, and families throughout Wisconsin. Recognizing the need to increase community capacity for violence prevention. This round of funding has been made available to support community-centered projects outside of traditional criminal justice approaches to public safety. The state of Wisconsin has partnered with the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Injury Center (MCW) to administer this statewide grant program.

Additional Information: https://www.mcw.edu/departments/comprehensive-injury-center/wisconsin-community-safety-fund-application