GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After an unsuccessful search for an organization to run a violence prevention program in Grand Rapids, city leaders will now consider contracting directly with a national organization.
Late last year, the city put out a call for proposals on how to reduce violence after more lives were lost than any other year on record.
During a mid-year update Tuesday, city staff said just three proposals were submitted. One was disqualified and the other two did not fit the criteria. Under the proposal, the agency submitting would have had to be able to cover most of the cost of implementation.
Brandon Davis, the director of the city's Office of Oversight and Public Accountability, told city commissioners that the city had been looking for an agency that had "existing relationships with Grand Rapids neighborhoods," which they did not find in the submissions.
One submission focused on training service providers in a "Cognitive Restructuring and Resocialization Program". The second proposal focused on a "de-violence" approach using virtual reality simulations.
Davis said the city saw value in the two submissions and encouraged the organizations to seek funding through other means, potentially through the city's SAFE Task Force.
The city has two options going forward, Davis said. The first option is to re-release the request for proposals with the same specifications, which includes requiring the agency to secure funding to cover expenses beyond the amount the city has committed to contribute.
The second option, which several commissioners voiced approval for, would entail the city contracting directly with Cure Violence, a crime prevention model that treats violence using a public health approach, or another evidence-based intervention model.
The city would then release a request for a lead agency to implement that model.
Grand Rapids has made a commitment to invest $75,000/year for three years into a crime reduction program. Contracting directly with a company like Cure Violence would likely require additional money, Davis said.
"But, based on conversations that I've had with the city manager, there are individuals who have indicated that if we were to select the evidence-based intervention model, they would be interested in helping to support that, so we do not see funding as a barrier," Davis said.
Cure Violence has received the backing of both city leaders and community members, though funding has been cited as an issue. The city first started looking into the program nearly a decade ago. In 2019, the city received an analysis and cost breakdown from the Chicago-based company.
Davis said the city has contacted Cure Violence to confirm the "current applicability" of the 2019 information.
Other national programs the city could consider include NOLA for Life, Advance Peace and Operation Cease Fire.
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