Jacksonville City Council approves initial funding for the ‘Cure Violence’ program

Jacksonville FL — The Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday evening approved $764,283 that will ultimately go towards the initial funding for the Cure Violence program. The City says the funding is needed for training and technical assistance from the group and the implementation of the program at the two sites where the group plans to implement their model of reducing violence by treating it like a disease.

The money is set to come from a loan payback from Hanna Park. The park got a loan from the overall City budget to help cover operating costs this year and there is now enough in the park’s subfund that they can pay back almost all of the loan according to documents from the City. The remaining $82,037 balance on the loan will be repaid next fiscal year.

Damian Cook with the Office of Grants & Contract Compliance says success from the program could be seen as soon as day one.

“We’re gonna go out and find the thugs that are getting ready to do shootings. We’re gonna send somebody who knows them to find them and talk them out of it.” Cook says.

He says the money approved will get the program through at least the first fiscal year.

In the newly released assessment of Jacksonville, Cure Violence says they expect the first phase of the program to be up and running by the end of the 2019 school year.