LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Supervisor, representing the Second District, to implement a Crisis Response and Violence Intervention Pilot Program (CRVIP) in communities impacted by high violent crimes. The motion, co-authored by Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, directs the CEO to identify at least $1,320,000 in unobligated funding in the Measure B Special Revenue Fund to support the pilot, including contracts with community-based organizations for CRVIP efforts.
According to data from the Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department, from January to May 2021, homicide crimes have increased across LA County by 84.7% compared to the same period in 2019. Gun related aggravated assaults have also seen a 90.3% increase compared to 2019. The increase in crimes can be specifically pinned out across South LA, East LA, and the San Gabriel Valley revealing deep rooted inequities in communities of color.
“Violence is preventable. Yet too many residents suffer under the long-lasting trauma of preventable and recurring violence, and we must do more to interrupt this cycle. I am excited to launch the pilot program for a Coordinated Community-Based Crisis Response System” shared Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “This pilot will expand the work of our community-based partners to provide rapid, proactive violence interruption and prevention services. We must and will continue to invest in the peace of our residents.”
“The Crisis Response and Violence Intervention Program will provide much-needed services and funding for vulnerable communities,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I look forward to partnering with County departments and the local stakeholders to provide impacted residents, including those in the Antelope Valley, with the programs and services that they deserve.”
The pilot program will use community-based and trusted messengers to patch and heal the ruptures that are created when violent incidents tear the fabric of a community. It will incorporate rapid, in-home, or in-community connections to the individuals and families most directly affected; prompt community-wide communication and response from peace ambassadors and other violence interruption providers; and follow-up and referral processes to provide linkages to providers and services.
To read the full motion, click here.