GOVERNOR MURPHY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL PLATKIN ANNOUNCE GRANT FUNDING FOR VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION WORK

Funding for this initiative has been made possible through the State’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, primarily from the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Fund, as well as through federal American Rescue Plan funds. To date, the Department of Law and Public Safety’s (the Department) total commitment to community violence intervention efforts, which includes CBVI, Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs, and Trauma Recovery Centers, now nears $130 million.

Established in 2021, CBVI’s initial funding was allocated as part of Governor Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget. As CBVI enters its fourth program year, the Murphy Administration’s nearly $55 million investment allows CBVI to continue supporting the State’s comprehensive public safety strategy. Through a public health approach to violence prevention, these programs put resources in the hands of community-based organizations who employ strategies that disrupt cycles of violence. Together, they are forming a continuum of prevention services from targeted programs for at-risk youth to street intervention initiatives.

“I am thrilled to see the Community-Based Violence Intervention Program enter its fourth year providing lifesaving services in communities across New Jersey,” said Governor Murphy. “As Attorney General Platkin and I highlighted earlier this year, gun violence in 2024 reached historic lows in our state, thanks in part to programs like CBVI. The program has played a role in addressing the root causes of violence through targeted interventions and community partnerships. Our Administration, in collaboration with our community partners, will continue to do what we can to reduce violence in our communities so that our friends and neighbors do not have to worry about their safety.”

“Since I took office, I’ve made it a priority to use all available tools and innovations to combat gun violence. Our transformational approach to public safety is working: the last two years have marked historic reductions in shootings, and the community-led solutions we fund are a critical part of that strategy,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Governor Murphy’s support and the State’s continued investment in community violence intervention programming has established New Jersey as a leader in prevention. The grants announced today will continue an approach of making smart investments in interventions and organizations that do lifesaving work.”