DELAWARE STATE SENATE

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 33

REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS APPROVE DELAWARE'S COMMUNITY PROJECT FUND REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE STATEWIDE VIOLENCE REDUCTION PROGRAM THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COUNCIL TO REDUCE PREVENTABLE COMMUNITY GUN VIOLENCE USING EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES.

WHEREAS, in 2015, Wilmington took meaningful steps to determine risk factors for gun violence involvement and to identify strategies to reduce urban gun violence through its work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and later through the work of the Wilmington Community Advisory Council; and

WHEREAS, continued investment in prevention strategies is essential, as Delaware’s violent crime and gun violence problem is still severe and growing; and

WHEREAS, from 2017 to 2020, Delaware experienced a total of 817 shooting incidents, with 178 being fatal; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 has only exacerbated Delaware’s community gun violence crisis; last year, the number of violent fatal shootings incidents increased 62% and overall shootings increased 40% in Delaware; and

WHEREAS, Delaware has a responsibility to invest in strategies to reduce community gun violence, ensure the safety and prosperity of its communities, and protect the lives of its residents; and

WHEREAS, initial investments by the State, philanthropic organizations, and the health care sector have been made to establish evidence-based strategies, including by a focused deterrence policing strategy; Group Violence Intervention, a hospital-based violence intervention program through Christiana Care, and a community-based intervention program in Wilmington to support efforts to interrupt the spread of violence in communities; and

WHEREAS, further investments will help bolster and expand these efforts, especially as COVID-19 has compounded the community gun violence epidemic in neighborhoods across the state leaving residents to suffer through co-occuring public health crises; and

WHEREAS, Congress has requested Community Project Funding applications for Fiscal Year 2022 from members, including The Honorable Lisa Blunt Rochester, for programs influencing a variety of policy areas, including gun violence reduction; and

WHEREAS, The Criminal Justice Council is poised to establish a fund for these efforts within its organization, and has submitted a Community Project Funding request to support evidence-based gun violence intervention strategies; and

WHEREAS, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8 of the 151 ^st General Assembly declared that gun violence is a public health crisis and ending gun violence in Delaware is a policy priority.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 151st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the General Assembly requests that the United States Congress approve the appropriation request submitted by the Criminal Justice Council, in its entirety, to support the continued implementation and expansion of evidence-based community gun violence reduction strategies and programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that after passage by the General Assembly, the Secretary of the Senate prepare and send a suitable copy of this Senate Concurrent Resolution to the state’s federal delegation.

SYNOPSIS

This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests that the United States Congress approve Delaware’s Community Project Fund request for fiscal year 2022 allocating funding to the Statewide Violence Reduction program, to be administered through the Delaware Criminal Justice Council. This fund will provide resources to evidence-based programs for gun violence intervention and prevention statewide, including the Group Violence Intervention program, community-based intervention and interruption programs, and hospital-based violence interruption, as well as prevention programs.

Author: Senator Pinkney