Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the modification of a grant agreement between the Department of Public Safety and the Short North Alliance, a not for profit organization, for the purposes of further funding the Business District Safety Enhancement Program.
Through this program, the Department of Public Safety will work in conjunction with the Division of Police and the neighborhood business group Short North Alliance to develop plans to appropriately deter crime and improve safety in Columbus’ business districts. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Columbus has experienced a significant uptick in violent crime throughout the community, notably in densely populated and visited business districts. In addition, the impacts of the pandemic have resulted in limited resources for small business owners to enhance safety features for their business and surrounding areas. There is a need to utilize funding from the City of Columbus to supplement safety enhancements in business districts throughout the City of Columbus. This organization will utilize this funding in support of their violent crime interdiction programs, which utilize law enforcement personnel serving in a special duty capacity, educational campaigns, and community outreach workers in an effort to prevent and address violent crime in their respective districts.
The modified grant agreement will provide the additional funding necessary to execute the Short North Alliance’s crime interdiction initiative.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this modified agreement is available within the Reimagining Safety subfund for this purpose
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency action is requested so that this organization can immediately take steps to make safety enhancements in their business district and the surrounding community.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to modify a grant agreement with the Short North Alliance for the administration of the Business Distric...
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