ST. LOUIS – Mayor Tishaura Jones is working with Cure Violence, gun violence prevention advocates, and Everytown for Gun Safety in order to reduce gun violence in St. Louis and commemorate Black History Month.

A video was released Monday called “St. Louis: A community of Resiliency.” One of the major points emphasized in the video was that St. Louis saw a major reduction in homicides from 2020 to 2021.

Mayor Jones became co-chair of Everytown’s group Mayors Against Illegal Guns earlier in 2022. It focuses on solving gun violence through innovative solutions like the expansion of community violence intervention programs (CVI) through the American Rescue Plan. 

“Making our neighborhoods safer requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Jones said. “My administration is ready to work with advocates and organizations like Everytown to continue the progress our city has seen in the past year. That includes expanding our use of community violence intervention programs to connect residents to resources and support.”

“Black communities bear the brunt of the physical, emotional, and financial burden that comes with our nation’s gun violence crisis,” Senior Vice President of Movement Building at Everytown for Gun Safety Angela Ferrell-Zabala said.

On Monday, the City of St. Louis will begin the process to formally release Requests for Proposals (RFP) to expand CVI programs in St. Louis using $5.5 million from the American Rescue Plan. CVI expansion is one part of the $135 million direct relief package from the federal American Rescue Plan Act that Mayor Jones signed into law in 2021 to improve public health, public safety, and provide economic support for residents.