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_ 546 Item Details($) Appropriations($) ITEM 394. First Year Second Year First Year Second Year FY2025 FY2026 FY2025 FY2026 providing forensic and related analytical equipment for law-enforcement agencies, and awarding grants to organizations such as local law-enforcement agencies, local attorneys for the Commonwealth, localities, social services providers, and nonprofit organizations that are engaged in group violence intervention efforts. No grants awarded shall be given to state agencies or offices. For the purposes of subsection N.2. of this item, "group violence intervention" means comprehensive law enforcement, prosecutorial, and community-based initiatives, substantially similar to Operation Ceasefire as implemented in Boston, Massachusetts and the Gang Reduction Programs implemented in Richmond and Los Angeles, California, which are documented by the Department of Justice and are carried out between members of law enforcement, members of the community, and social services providers. The Department shall establish an application process for awarding grants from the Fund, including criteria and procedures for determining the amount of a grant. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $10,000,000 the first year and $10,000,000 the second year from the general fund shall be deposited into the Operation Ceasefire Grant Fund. 3. Out of the amounts in section N of this item, the Director, Department of Criminal Justice Services, is authorized to expend no more than three percent per year for state administration of these programs. 4.a. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $14,000,000 the first year and $14,000,000 $19,000,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Safer Communities Program to support holistic, community-based strategies that address the root causes and conditions of community violence. Such strategies shall be evidence-informed and/or community-driven and shall include: (i) afterschool programs and mentorships; (ii) connections to education and economic opportunities; (iii) trauma-informed mental health care; (iv) credible messengers and violence interrupters; and (v) strategies to build trust between law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders. Out of this amount, (i) at least $13,000,000 the first year and at least $13,000,000 the second year shall be provided to the City of Norfolk, the City of Portsmouth, the City of Roanoke, and the City of Richmond, with a minimum award of $2,500,000 per locality and the remainder allocated to each of the four localities based on population; and (ii) $5,000,000 the second year shall be provided to the City of Hampton and the City of Newport News, with a minimum award of $2,500,000 per locality. Recipient localities shall (i) use grant funds to employ a full-time position dedicated to planning, implementation, and coordination of community violence reduction strategies, including utilizing existing violence reduction grants and pursuing additional grant opportunities, and (ii) provide quarterly reports to the Department detailing expenditures to date to ensure alignment with the requirements established in this paragraph. For the fiscal year 2026 grant awards, recipient localities: (i) shall not use funding for school resource or school safety officers; and (ii) shall prioritize support for community-led solutions. b. There is hereby established the Office of Safer Communities ("the Office") in the Department. The Office shall serve as a resource for research, evidence, and best practices for community-based violence intervention, including: (i) providing consultation to the Board of Criminal Justice Services as it administers the Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Fund and the Operation Ceasefire Grant Fund; (ii) liaising with Safer Communities Program recipient localities to ensure collection of the expenditure reports required by the preceding paragraph; (iii) conducting outreach to current and potential recipients of violence intervention and prevention grants; and (iv) summarizing violence reduction grantees' use of funds, including any available outcome measures, noting alignment with national promising practices. c. The Office shall provide quarterly updates to the Virginia Crime Commission and submit an annual report by November 1 of each year to the Chairs of the Virginia Crime Commission, House Courts of Justice Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. The updates and annual reports shall summarize the efforts of the Office, to include information collected pursuant to provision (iv) of the preceding paragraph and the findings of the Office's research on best practices. d. Out of the amounts in subsection N.4.a of this item, $925,000 the first year and $900,000 the second year is provided to support the Office, to include positions and support services for research, outreach, and reporting. The Office shall employ at least one position focused on coordination and outreach and at least one position focused on research and evidence. In