Heinrich, Luján, Stansbury Welcome Over $11.3 Million To Enhance Services And Assistance For Victims Of Crime, Reduce Cycle Of Violence

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) are welcoming $11,379,976 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) aimed at supporting victims of crime and breaking the cycle of violence.

“New Mexico’s Congressional Democrats and the Biden administration are delivering federal investments to reduce violence in our communities. I’m pleased to welcome substantial DOJ funding from for New Mexico’s Victims Reparation Commission to ensure that victims of crime have the services and financial support they need to recover,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. “The Violence Intervention Program has also demonstrated clear success in reducing incidents of gang and gun violence. Their intervention strategies head off retaliation shootings and break the cycle of criminal activity. I’m proud to welcome these federal investments that build off of the funding we secured in the FY22 Appropriations process, and will continue fighting to bring in additional investment to support community-based efforts.”

“It is critical to empower local communities by funding public safety projects such as the Violence Intervention Program,” said Luján. “I’m pleased this grant will provide support to victims of violent crime through financial assistance and services to reduce health disparities. The community-based focus of the Violence Intervention Program addresses the root causes of gun violence to ensure safety throughout New Mexico.”

“We must tackle our crime problems head-on and ensure every New Mexican can feel safe in their communities. That is why I have been aggressively pursuing funding to support our law enforcement and services to address violent crime in Albuquerque, and I am proud to have helped secure this vital funding alongside Senators Heinrich and Luján,” said Stansbury. “This funding will support victims of violent crime, while helping to address underlying causes of crime and trauma in our community. As we return to session in September, I will be fighting to increase public safety resources for our communities.”

DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs has awarded the following federal funding:

• A total of $10,379,796 in grants has been awarded to the State of New Mexico’s Crime Victims Reparation Commission which provides financial assistance to victims of violent crime. The funding is comprised of:
  • $9,376,796 to enhance services available through the state’s Crime Victims Fund.
  • $1,003,00o to support payments to eligible crime victims.
• $1,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s Violence Intervention Program (VIP). This federal funding expands the scope of the Albuquerque Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) to serve victims of violent crime with a focus on reducing health disparities and providing services to communities of color, under-served and unserved victims of violence.

Senator Heinrich led an effort supported by Senator Luján and Representative Stansbury to secure $1,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations funding for Albuquerque’s Violence Intervention Program to target the root causes of crime and break the cycle of violence in the local community.

Senators Heinrich and Luján are currently working to deliver an additional $2,050,000 for the program to help bolster its new Albuquerque Community Safety Department.

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