Mobile first Alabama city to pitch millions in COVID-19 relief funds to combat gun violence

Joe Biden walking in the White House

President Joe Biden walks out of the State Dining room after an event with Attorney General Merrick Garland at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, June 23, 2021, to discuss gun crime prevention strategy.AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Mobile will reallocate $5.1 million of federal COVID-19 relief money toward gun violence prevention, the mayor’s office announced Thursday.

The reallocation is contingent on approval from the Mobile City Council, which will take up Stimpson’s plans for the city’s $58.2 million allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds. A council finance committee will meet at 8 a.m. on Tuesday to discuss the mayor’s “People First” plan.

Mobile became the first Alabama city to publicly announce it was reallocating some of its American Rescue Plan Act money toward gun violence prevention after President Joe Biden, on Wednesday, said cities could use their pandemic relief aid to address a surge in gun-related violence.

“This new guidance allows us to expand our current emphasis on curbing gun violence across the city of Mobile through innovative technology, K-12 education and community-based policing strategies,” Stimpson said in a news release. “I am confident these programs, coupled with our recently formed Gun Intelligence Unit and existing crime prevention strategies will help reverse the growing trend of violence gun crimes in our community.”

The city has to come up with a final plan on how an additional $5.1 million will be found within Stimpson’s plan. City spokesman Jason Johnson said that Mobile will not cut back on the $10 million in bonus money they are pitching for city employees. Stimpson’s plan calls for a $5,000 bonus to every full-time city employee, and $2,500 to part-time employees. The city anticipates 2,000 full-time employees receiving a bonus check, and 200 part-timers.

Stimpson’s proposal also $8 million to rehabilitate the former Gayers building on Dauphin Street into a 94-unit affordable housing complex, a $16 million affordable rental housing facility in the Maysville community, and $13.8 million over the next two years to bolster rental and small business program. The city is also wanting to utilize $4 million of the funding to assist homeowners to assist with down payments, $3 million to boost the city’s broadband network, and $1.4 million on marketing efforts to bolster tourism.

Other Alabama cities have yet to announce changes to their plans for the COVID-19 relief money following Biden’s announcement that efforts to combat gun violence are an allowable use of the $350 billion in state and local pandemic relief funds included within the overall $1.9 trillion spending measure that Congress approved in March.

Birmingham city spokesman Rick Journey said the city has not rolled out additional spending plans. He said they are in a public comment period for their proposals, which runs until June 30.

In Mobile, the added money is proposed to be used on the ShotSpotter program, which allows police to respond in a rapid fashion to gun violence. Funding will also go toward the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) program and the Community Violence Intervention Programs (CVIP).

“These additional resources will serve to enhance the Mobile Police Department’s ability to reduce violent crime through the use of cutting-edge technology and data-driven intelligence,” said Lawrence Battiste, the city’s public safety director.

Stimpson said he could make further recommendations after the mayors from the 10 largest cities meet in Mobile early next week.

The updated guidance from Biden was part of a multi-faceted approach the president is taking to curb the recent rise in gun violence and violent crime. Among the other measures announced are tougher enforcement policies against federally licensed gun dealers who violate gun sales laws. Instead of issuing warnings, the federal government will revoke a dealer license on first offenses.

White House data shows that homicides increased 30% in 2020 over 2019. First-quarter homicides this year are also up 24% over the first quarter of 2020, before the pandemic was underway.

Mobile is also outpacing the number of homicides it has had this year compared to a year ago.

Gun violence is especially a problem in Alabama, where on average 1,054 people are killed and 3,422 are wounded during gun violence, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Alabama has the second-highest rate of gun deaths in the U.S., according to the organization.

The costs for gun violence are also high in the state. Alabama, according to the group’s data, has the third-highest societal cost of gun violence in the U.S. at $1,654 per person each year. Gun deaths and injuries cost Alabama $8 billion, of which $433 million is paid by taxpayers, according to Everytown’s data.

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