LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Today, Mayor Linda Gorton and the director of ONE Lexington, Devine Carama, announced the start of the ONE Lexington Gun Violence Prevention Grant Program. Gorton says homicides among youth ages 13 to 29 have decreased. The money from this grant will help fund programs to keep that progress moving forward.
"So, we want to keep going on that momentum and the fact of the matter is, a lot of non-profits in our community — they understand how to use these monies to make a difference,” says Gorton.
Now, $150,000 is available to be allocated alongside the Community Action Council. They also announced an additional $30,000 from Cities United. That money will address victims’ services and reentry services. These leaders say it's not the government’s job to control neighborhoods, but to remove barriers to resources that make communities safer.
"When we eliminate the barriers that keep neighborhoods from being able to take care of themselves, how can they fill in the gaps that are lacking in some of these underserved communities,” says Devine Carama.
The owner of Bluegrass Tavern in downtown Lexington is looking to speak before the city council to continue community safety conversations. He believes these funds are a step in the right direction.
"All I would say, with any government program, is just to, you know, kind of have a watchful eye to make sure there is a reasonable level of success,” says owner Sean Ebbitt.
As a business owner, Ebbitt says he's seen the impact of the violence on businesses — with some of his own customers expressing concerns about staying out. He wants a focus on reentry after jail time.
"It appears that there are some significant errors with criminals getting out and committing crimes again,” he says.
Carama explains that he's heard concerns over criminal accountability, reduced bonds, and shorter sentences. He says allocating funds to a reentry program addresses those issues.
"So, there are several services that operate in that capacity, but they can only handle one client at a time, maybe two. And so, if we can amplify their organization where they can handle a larger caseload, then you have more alternative options for our judges to utilize,” says Carama.
Mayor Gorton says there's no one solution that solves the violence and crime concerns — but she says this is a step in the right direction.
"You can look across the country and see all of the statistics about gun violence and the rise of gun violence and the rise in domestic violence homicides and so it's another piece of the puzzle that fits right in to the big picture for us,” she says.
