The California Violence Intervention Program is a critical component of our state's public safety agenda. Its current levels of funding, however, are woefully inadequate. By increasing funding to $39 million this year, California would foster huge growth in violence prevention efforts across the state.
Oakland is a prime example of the impact these local, community-based organizations could have with funding from CalVIP. From 2015-2017, the state provided $1.5 million to Oakland Ceasefire; since the group's launch, the city has seen a 43% drop in homicides and a 49% drop in non-fatal shootings.
Currently California only spends $0.23 per capita on violence prevention, compared to other states like Massachusetts and New York, which spend $2 and $1 respectively, and have highly successful analogous programs to CalVIP.
Change starts at the local level, and by increasing CalVIP funding to $39 million, we can create a safer future for communities across California.