Joe Biden

ICYMI: The American Rescue Plan is Working to Bolster American Cities' Efforts to Reduce Gun Violence and Violent Crime

July 09, 2021

President Biden's American Rescue Plan is having the broad, sweeping positive impacts on American communities that it was intended to – and it's helping communities around the country get the tools they need to reduce gun crime by giving them resources to expand community policing, invest in community violence intervention programs, and support other measures proven to reduce violent crime.

The latest example comes from Tucson, where Mayor Regina Romero announced Tucson would join numerous other cities in dedicating ARP funds to keeping families safe by combatting gun violence.

See below for more:

KVOA: Romero to use American Rescue Plan dollars for community safety, violence interruption efforts
[Meleny Gradillas, 7/7/21]

TUCSON (KVOA) - Over the time span of the pandemic, Tucson, like many other cities, has had an increase in gun-related violence.

In response to this issue, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced a plan to invest at least $7 million in community safety, health and wellness, and violence interruption programs on Wednesday.

"Like other inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, gun violence has been most acute in parts of our city that are also areas of historic disinvestment, poverty, and lack of affordable housing," Romero said. "Gun violence is as much an issue of community safety as it is one of equity, disproportionately affecting economically distressed neighborhoods."

Back in June, the Biden Administration explained eligible uses of American Rescue Plan dollars. That includes community safety and violence interruption.

Romero has also developed a Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, made up of diverse community leaders, aimed at reducing gun violence.

"The framework I have proposed takes a holistic and preventative approach to addressing gun violence by investing in violence interruption efforts, youth employment and programming, workforce development, and mental health and substance use disorder services," Romero said.

According to a press release, funding for this proposal will come from the "City of Tucson's American Rescue Plan allocation."

Romero plans to use that money for the following:

  • Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs
  • Youth employment and programming
  • Workforce development and apprenticeship programs
  • Mental health and substance use disorder services

Joseph R. Biden, ICYMI: The American Rescue Plan is Working to Bolster American Cities' Efforts to Reduce Gun Violence and Violent Crime Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/351256

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