Public Safety – NewDEAL

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer Announced Package of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention Ordinances

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 21:56:41 +0000

Delaware: New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer announced a package of common-sense ordinances aimed at preventing gun violence and keeping communities safe. Of the three ordinances included in the package, two have already been passed by the New Castle County Council: Ordinance 23-085, which holds firearm retailers accountable by requiring improved security measures to protect against theft, and Ordinance 23-086, which officially prohibits firearms in county buildings and police departments, categorizing them as “gun-free zones.” The remaining legislation, Ordinance 23-084, which restricts where future firearm retailers can be located in the county, will be heard by the county council this fall.

Senate President Bill Ferguson and Senator Will Smith Lead a Juvenile Justice Reform Bill to Signing

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:06:35 +0000

MARYLAND: Under the leadership of Senate President Bill Ferguson and Senator Will Smith, a comprehensive juvenile justice reform bill was recently signed by Governor Wes Moore. The new law expands jurisdiction for the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), which could help support accountability measures and rehabilitation support for severe criminal offenses by youth as young as 10-12. The bill requires more coordination between DJS and the courts and extends the probation length of young offenders. The legislation also invests in rehabilitation and intervention programs. As chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, Smith played a key role in taking a comprehensive approach that balances accountability and individual and public safety.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris Announced the Establishment of a Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:38:22 +0000

Tennessee: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris announced a partnership with the City of Memphis to establish a Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement. This collaboration will merge existing city and county safety programs and allow the municipalities to work collaboratively to decrease violence, using a data-driven approach to distribute resources and implement intervention strategies that respond to community needs.

Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones Announced Expansion of Violence Intervention Program

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:21:32 +0000

Virginia: Newport Mayor Phillip Jones announced a $1.4 million annual expansion of the Hand in Hand program, a violence intervention initiative that places social workers in the hospital to give patients resources to break cycles of violence. To date, the program has supported 630 survivors, offering assistance with housing, medical bills, and more.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Councilmember Kesha Hodge Washington Provided Recommendations to Improve Police Trust and Accountability

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:08:14 +0000

Arizona: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Councilmember Kesha Hodge Washington provided recommendations to improve police trust and accountability. The recommendations come in response to a U.S. Department of Justice report that found examples of misconduct and include reforms such as enhanced data collection and transparency, improved training, and the establishment of a new “Inspections Sergeant” role to support these reform efforts.

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird Announced Mental Health Crisis Calls Partnership

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:52:55 +0000

NEBRASKA: Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced that mental health professionals from local provider CenterPointe will begin accompanying the city’s police officers on mental health crisis calls. This partnership seeks to de-escalate police encounters and connect people with needed mental health services, providing faster access to care and permitting clinicians to stay with individuals in crisis while officers return to duty.

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein Offers Free Car Repairs to Low-Income Residents to Reduce Traffic Stops.

actualize — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:18:02 +0000

Columbus City, Ohio Attorney Zach Klein is offering free car repairs to low-income residents in an effort to reduce traffic stops. The program will replace headlights and taillights, repair safety features, and provide regular emissions inspections at no cost to eligible households. Project Taillight has been praised as a win-win for community members and law enforcement, as it improves traffic safety and allows police to focus their attention elsewhere. “We needed to stop what we deemed to be a completely preventable police interaction,” Klein said, “and that’s an interaction driven by poverty, like a broken tail light or a headlight.”

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein Announces The States Backlog of Untested Sexual Assault Kits Has Been Cleared

actualize — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:16:41 +0000

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced that his office has successfully cleared the state’s backlog of untested sexual assault kits. These kits, which are used to provide evidence of rape and sexual assault, can be used to document DNA and make arrests in cases that have gone cold. North Carolina once led the nation with the most significant backlog of nearly 16,000 untouched kits, but under Stein’s leadership, the state has already been able to identify DNA from 5,000 cases and make 114 arrests.

Rep. Ensler Advances Common Sense Gun Reform Bill

Estevan Ginsburg — Tue, 07 May 2024 14:19:11 +0000

Representative Phillip Ensler’s bill to ban the possession of trigger activators, or Glock switches, which turn handguns into machine guns, passed the state house by a vote of 60-38. Ensler assembled a coalition, including law enforcement, that argued that the ban was needed to complement federal law and keep Alabamians safe. “As a Democrat, as a new Democrat, and dealing with gun legislation, those are all uphill battles in this Legislature. But the fact that we got it done speaks volumes, and I am very grateful to the speaker of the House… and it ultimately was a bipartisan effort.” The bill now heads to the Senate.

ARPA Case Study: Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti Invests in City’s Recovery and Resilience after Flooding

actualize — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:30:01 +0000

In Scranton, Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti has effectively deployed the American Rescue Plan Act to tackle the most pressing issues facing her community. From supporting small businesses and expanding childcare access to investing in community wellness programs, Cognetti has capitalized on the flexible use of ARPA funds to meet the varied and changing needs of her city.

Furthermore, after a strong storm in September, 2023 hammered parts of Keyser Valley and North Scranton, Cognetti quickly announced a flood relief fund leveraging ARPA dollars.

The new budget allocation provides up to $5,000 for eligible households and provides other support to nonprofit organizations and businesses recovering from flood damages. These Disaster Recovery grants can be used for costs related to property repair, appliance repair or replacement, debris removal, insurance deductibles, and moving. “By reallocating more than $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, we are providing some financial relief from the September storm and enacting long-term plans to prevent future flooding across the City,” said Gebhardt Cognetti.

Scranton’s original ARPA budget allocated $17 million in various stormwater management efforts, including funds to form a regional Stormwater Management Authority that would execute cooperative plans across municipalities to prepare for and prevent damage from events like September’s flash flood.