Bill > H2136

This bill establishes a grant program, administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), to provide funding to municipalities experiencing high rates of violence. The program, known as the "high-crime violence reduction program," aims to equip police with training and strategies to combat violence, particularly firearm violence, in these areas. Municipalities can qualify for these grants if they meet specific criteria related to murder rates, overall violent crimes, firearm-related arrests, or non-fatal shootings, as determined by FBI Uniform Crime Report data. Once a municipality qualifies, it can solicit proposals from vendors who offer evidence-based intervention strategies to reduce violence. These proposals, called Strategic Anti-Violence Proposals (SAP), must detail the specific violence problem, outline a chosen intervention strategy supported by research, describe implementation plans including police training and costs, and establish rigorous performance metrics and evaluation methods, including a return on investment (ROI) analysis. The municipality then selects a vendor based on their ability to provide an effective, evidence-based solution and forwards the chosen SAP to the EOPSS for final approval before the grant funds are released for the municipality to enter into a contract with the vendor. The grant amounts vary based on the municipality's population, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.