NORFOLK -- Norfolk has received $1 million from state, local and federal partners to help fight gang and gun violence.
The announcement was made at the Berkley Community Center Tuesday morning by Attorney General Mark Herring, Congressman Bobby Scott and Mayor Paul Fraim.
"Gun violence and gang violence have claimed the lives of too many Virginians, many of them young people," said Attorney General Herring.
So far in 2014, 25 people have been killed due to gun violence in Norfolk.
"One is too many and we have to do something about it," said. The number of guns in our community and most urban communities is atrocious and we have to do something about that."
The Norfolk Gang Task Force estimates that gang activity is responsible for approximately 18 percent of homicides, 22 percent of aggravated assaults and 15 percent of all other violent crimes.
The effort to help reduce violent crime will bring two new prosecutors to the region, add more street patrols, and boost education and prevention efforts in the area.
One of the additional prosecutors will be assigned to the Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney's Office. The other will be assigned to the U.S. Attorney's Office. They will be designated as both assistant attorneys general and special assistant U.S. attorneys.
Other strategies will include:
- Enhanced capacity for prosecutions of serious gun and gang crimes at the state and federal level, and enhanced sentences for the most dangerous gun crimes;
- Funding of directed community patrols based on data about gang and gun violence;
- Specialized training of local law enforcement personnel on gun crime investigations and related issues;
- Training of prosecutors by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Office of Attorney General on effective prosecution of gun and gang cases;
- Arrests of fugitives and high-profile violent criminals in neighborhoods;
- Improved inter-agency communication and intra-agency communication.
The partners will work with the grant's research partner, The Urban Institute, a non-profit research and policy organization with extensive experience on crime reduction projects, to monitor progress towards achieving crime reduction goals, including:
- Reducing homicides committed with a firearm,
- Reducing the combined number of homicides, aggravated assaults, and robberies with a firearm
- Reducing gang-related homicides, aggravated assaults, and robberies
- Maintaining strong conviction rates for those who commit gun or gang crimes.
The effort will be supported by a $500,000 federal grant from the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program and $500,000 of asset forfeiture funds, meaning the funds to fight crime will come from criminals, not from taxpayers.
