Governor Polis and Division of Criminal Justice Announce $3 Million in Crime Prevention and Crisis Intervention Grants Awarded to 15 Colorado Organizations

LAKEWOOD - Governor Polis and the Division of Criminal Justice announced the 15 Colorado organizations across ten counties who are the recipients of the State Multidisciplinary Crime Prevention and Crisis Intervention funding (CPCI), a total of $3 million.

From Boulder to La Plata County, these grants will support agencies over a 21-month funding period and contribute to implementing community-based programs focused on crime prevention and crisis intervention strategies.

"We are committed to making Colorado communities safer for everyone, and that includes investing in the organizations on the ground who are doing effective work to prevent crime. Congratulations to all the recipients and keep up the great work," said Governor Jared Polis.

The CPCI Grant Program aims at improving public safety and creating one of the safest states in the country by investing in crime prevention and crisis intervention programs. Recipients of the grant are based in rural counties and urban areas.

"Grants play a crucial role in enhancing the safety of our communities by providing essential resources for crime prevention and intervention programs," said Matthew M. Lunn, Colorado Division of Criminal Justice director. "They empower local communities to address public safety challenges through innovative solutions and collaborative efforts. By investing in these initiatives, we strengthen the foundation of a safer, more resilient Colorado for everyone."

Here are a few examples of how grant recipients are working to prevent crime.

Axis Health System received a CPCI grant in collaboration with the La Plata County Sheriff's Office to expand its co-responder program. The program dispatches a deputy and a clinician to address mental health and behavioral health crises, and connects individuals to wrap-around services to meet their needs for food, clothing, shelter, and other resources.

Similarly, the Public Health Department in Rio Grande County received funding to implement two programs, Botvin's Life Skills Training and Strengthening Families, in the San Luis Valley. These evidence-based programs are proven to prevent or reduce youth delinquency by targeting known risk and protective factors. This rural, multidisciplinary project involves public health, behavioral health, public schools, Colorado State University (CSU) Extension, CSU prevention researchers, youth and family service providers, and local families, among other stakeholders.

The Latino Coalition for Community Leadership (LCCL), a CPCI grant recipient, is known for building collaborative partnerships among some of Metro Denver's Black and Latino-led grassroots groups that serve communities hardest hit by violence. Through their Violence Interruption and Healing Collaborative project, targeting Denver, Adams, and Arapahoe Counties in areas with high rates of violent crime, LCCL will provide training and technical assistance, as well as subgrants, to violence interruption organizations to build their capacity to implement Community Violence Intervention Strategies, an approach that uses evidence-informed strategies to reduce violence through tailored community-centered initiatives. LCCL will also facilitate working relationships between the organizations and local government agencies, with a focus on public health organizations and local law enforcement.

The full list of 2024 grant recipients are listed below.

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice's 2024 CPCI awards are based on the State's FY 2025 appropriation for HB24-1421, Modifying Public Safety Program Funding. The Multidisciplinary Crime Prevention and Crisis Intervention (CPCI) Advisory Committee, whose membership is representative of the communities where crime is disproportionately high, reviews applications and makes recommendations based on communities with greatest need, the applicant's level of cultural and population specific competency, and level of collaboration.

The CPCI Advisory Committee approved the awards announced below:

Arapahoe County
Agency: Second Chance Center, Inc.
Project Title: Safe Homes, Safe Communities
Grant Amount: $81,468

Agency: Collaborative Healing Initiative Within Communities
Project Title: Re-Enter, Re-Build, Re-Start (R3)
Grant Amount: $200,000

Boulder County
Agency: Bridge House
Project Title: Work and Housing First in Mitigating Recidivism
Grant Amount: $148,694

Denver County
Agency: Apprentice of Peace Youth Organization
Project Title: AOPYO Youth Center for Behavioral Health
Grant Amount: $81,468

Agency: Denver Healing Generations
Project Title: Denver Healing Generations Calmecac Program
Grant Amount: $81,468

Metro Denver (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Gilpin)
Agency: Fully Liberated Youth
Project Title: Violence Interruption Through School-Based Prevention Services for High-Risk Young People
Grant Amount: $200,000

Agency: Latino Coalition for Community Leadership
Project Title: Violence Interruption and Healing Collaborative
Grant Amount: $700,000

Agency: Tribe Recovery Homes
Project Title: Crime Prevention and Crisis Intervention through Peer Support Services
Grant Amount: $240,498 El Paso County

Agency: Educating Children of Color, Inc.
Project Title: A year-round program to reduce juvenile delinquency, achieve educational equity, empower youth, and dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline
Grant Amount: $120,000

Agency: Inside Out Youth Services
Project Title: ALLY Up for LGBTQIA2+ Violence Prevention
Grant Amount: $150,000

Agency: Relevant Word Ministries
Project Title: Pursuing Academic & Cultural Excellence (PACE) Mentoring Program for Crime Prevention and Community Resilience
Grant Amount: $110,000

La Plata County
Agency: Axis Health Partners
Project Title: Axis + La Plata County Sheriff's Office Co-responder Program
Grant Amount: $300,000

Pueblo County
Agency: Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association
Project Title: SoCo Harm Reduction: Pathways to Multidisciplinary Services
Grant Amount: $200,000

Agency: Servicios de La Raza, Inc.
Project Title: Just and Equitable Approaches to Crime Prevention and Intervention Services for Latinos and other Indigenous Communities
Grant Amount: $300,000

Rio Grande County
Agency: Rio Grande County Public Health Department
Project Title: Rio Grande County San Luis Valley: Partnership Strengthening Juvenile Delinquency Prevention
Grant Amount: $88,500

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