Giffords Applauds Biden’s Safer America Plan
Washington DC — Today, Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, applauded President Biden’s announcement of his Safer America Plan, which proposes to invest $37 billion in gun violence prevention efforts, including supporting law enforcement and community safety programs.
Peter Ambler, Executive Director and Co-Founder:
“President Biden’s investment of $37 billion towards preventing gun violence, including an historic $5 billion investment in community violence intervention programs, comes at a critical time. Crime has been on the rise in the United States, and it’s mostly fueled by gun violence. Communities of color are especially affected by this violence, with Black and Brown Americans who make up less than a third of the total population accounting for nearly three-quarters of all gun homicide victims. In the past, public policy has failed these communities. President Biden’s announcement today is an important step towards changing that. We applaud this news and join President Biden’s call to Congress for more action.”
More on the Safer America Plan:
President Biden announced today that his administration proposes to invest $37 billion to save lives and make communities safer. He plans to:
- Invest in effective community policing by funding the hiring and training of 100,000 additional police officers
- Establish a $15 billion grant program to provide resources to cities and states to prevent crime and advance equity through supportive services
- Invest $5 billion in community violence intervention programs
- Invest $3 billion to help communities clear court backlogs and solve murders
- Increase funding to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to hire new agents and investigators to help keep firearms out of dangerous hands
More on community violence intervention (CVI) programs:
Community violence intervention strategies are incredibly effective, but to make a sustained dent in American gun violence, these programs need consistent, long-term funding. Giffords works with federal, state, and local governments to support and direct resources to community-driven violence reduction efforts across the country. Learn more about Giffords’s CVI work.
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Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.
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