For Immediate Release:
April 28, 2022
Jackson Selected to Participate in NLC Initiative to Advance Community Safety
(Jackson, Miss.) – Today, the National League of Cities (NLC) announced the launch of the Municipalities Reimagining Community Safety Initiative in response to upticks in violence in some cities and the need for a coordinated local response.
The initiative brings together elected leaders and staff, residents, and local organizations to pursue coordinated, equitable, community-centered, safety efforts. The work is intended to spur local action and implement plans that are established in partnership with Black and Brown communities. Five cities – including Jackson – will receive approximately $1 million in investments that include pass-through grant funding, and evaluation and coaching from local and national partners.
“This is a great opportunity to network with colleagues and experts to learn what works in the short-term and long-term to make Jackson a safer place for all,” said Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. “I am proud to have been selected for this initiative.”
The initiative builds on the NLC’s recent Reimagining Public Safety Task Force report, A Path Toward Safe and Equitable Cities, which advances the work in cities to expand the use of civilian-led and community-based well-being and prevention-focused strategies with an emphasis on engaging those most impacted.
“NLC is excited to announce a new two-year initiative that will help five cities address violence through comprehensive and collaborative approaches,” said Clarence Anthony, the CEO & executive director of the NLC. “The cities of Baltimore, Dallas, Jackson, Philadelphia, and St. Louis will receive significant funding and support through this program to organize, focus and expand the safety and violence reduction strategies of municipal agencies and their community partners. We look forward to highlighting the progress in these cities, and lessons learned for other cities, at upcoming conferences beginning with City Summit 2022.”
The program is made possible thanks to a $6 million grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation.