Davenport has been “extraordinarily impacted” by gun violence for years, according to Davenport Police Chief Jeffery Bladel. The goal now is to reduce that violence in Davenport and across the entire region – and a new $300,000 grant created through the Quad Cities Community Foundation could make that goal a reality. That three-year grant was […]
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Davenport has been “extraordinarily impacted” by gun violence for years, according to Davenport Police Chief Jeffery Bladel.
The goal now is to reduce that violence in Davenport and across the entire region – and a new $300,000 grant created through the Quad Cities Community Foundation could make that goal a reality.
That three-year grant was unveiled during a news conference Monday morning, Jan. 9, at the Quad Cities Community Foundation office in Bettendorf. The funding will help advance the Group Violence Intervention (GVI), a strategy aimed at reducing violent crime that was adopted last year by the City of Davenport.
GVI is a “focused deterrence” approach that focuses on victims and offenders to build trust and provide services and resources that could help save them, according to information provided by the Community Foundation.
“This can have a huge impact on our community. … We want to get the message out that violence is not tolerated. But we are here to help,” Chief Bladel added.
The GVI brings together law enforcement, social services and community members to reach people at the highest risk of committing violent crimes. The key message GVI wants to voice is – “We want to see you safe, alive and out of prison,” according to Dwayne Hodges, a pastor, community organizer and volunteer, instrumental in helping roll out GVI.
“If you want to see change, you have to be part of it,” Mr. Hodges said at the news conference introducing the $300,000 grant.
He added that one of GVI’s main goals now is to get more people involved and make it a passion for the community. “We have to have passion in what we do,” he said.
The grant money will be used in three ways:
- It will allow Family Resources to dedicate a staff member to help with GVI work.
- It will fund a stipend for community members who have volunteered their time and talents to the GVI.
- The grant will fund research and evaluation by St. Ambrose University, Davenport, which will measure the GVI’s effectiveness and lay the groundwork for additional funding for the program.