Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the Office of Violence Prevention OVP to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with The Columbus Urban League to implement Safe Passages program, a targeted, community-based violence prevention initiative designed to protect Columbus youth during the predictable high-risk periods when they are most vulnerable to violence for an amount not to exceed $500,000.00 The contract period is from March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027.
Safe Passages places trained, trusted adults in the right places at the right times - not to police, but to prevent. This agreement offers a practical, data-driven, and measurable response to the City's most urgent public safety challenge: youth-involved violence and delivers specific services to the public that cannot be provided by existing city employees .
Safe Passages program will deliver:
Targeted deployment of trained Violence Intervention Specialists and Community Safety Ambassadors at OVP-designated schools, library branches, and travel corridors.
Coverage during predictable high-risk windows: the first two weeks of school, before and after holiday and seasonal breaks, spring break, the summer transition, and emergent safety events.
De-escalation and mediation that resolves conflict before it escalates, reducing reliance on law enforcement while preserving safety.
Positive youth engagement by staff with lived experience and deep neighborhood roots building trust, reinforcing protective factors, and connecting young people to opportunity.
Real-time coordination with OVP, Columbus City Schools, and Columbus Metropolitan Library through daily logs, incident reporting, and rapid-response protocols.
The Columbus Urban League
Contractor Compliance Number: 006073
Contract Compliance Expiration Date: February 28, 2027
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION:
Emergency action is being requested so that the contract can be entered into in early March to prevent a lapse in violence interruption services being pr...
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