Gov. Snyder, Mayor Bing launch expansion of
AmeriCorps Governor & Mayor Initiative Urban Safety Corps
Program will work to reduce crime in five new areas of
need in Detroit
DETROIT, MICH. – Gov. Rick Snyder and Mayor Dave Bing today announced the launch and expansion of an innovative crime reduction model in the city of Detroit: the AmeriCorps Governor & Mayor Initiative Urban Safety Corps Program. A unique public-private partnership, the program utilizes 36 AmeriCorps members as catalysts to mobilize and recruit community volunteers to join them in improving public safety in targeted Detroit neighborhoods.
“AmeriCorps programs across the country provide powerful and low-cost solutions to serious community challenges,” Snyder said. “The Urban Safety Corps Program is among these programs and has already demonstrated much success with a cost-effective program model that is helping supplement a critical area of need in the Motor City: public safety. We are excited to launch this promising expansion as I know it will provide crucial support in our collective efforts to reinvent Detroit.”
 CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer (speaking), Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (center), and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing (right) announce the AmeriCorps Urban Safety Corps on November 4, 2013.
Operated by Wayne State University,
the Urban Safety Corps has already been at work in the Midtown and East Jefferson
communities for three years. The innovative program utilizes the progressive
COMPSTAT crime mapping program to evaluate crime “hot-spots” and implement targeted
strategies to reduce blight, assaults, break-ins, drug dealing, and
vehicle-related crimes. Contributing to the program’s success, which has seen a
44 percent reduction in crime in its targeted areas, is the joint collaboration
between residents, neighborhood non-profits, faith-based organizations, law enforcement,
existing neighborhood associations and block clubs to improve public safety.
Now at the launch of a new program year, Governor Snyder and
Mayor Bing have joined together to expand the successful program into five new
communities. These five areas were strategically selected in neighborhoods surrounding
local schools where other state and local improvement initiatives are already
underway. The new targeted communities will include the areas around East
English Village, Clark Elementary, Bates, Bagley Elementary, Bethune, Gompers
Elementary, Cody, Harms Elementary, Neinas Elementary, and Osborn.
“I am pleased to join the Governor in announcing the
AmeriCorps Governor and Mayor Initiative for the Urban Safety Corps,” remarked
Mayor Bing. “This initiative is an exciting partnership between the State of
Michigan and the city of Detroit, demonstrating the joint commitment of Detroit
and the state to restore and revitalize our great city.”
Also joining Snyder and Bing at the kick-off event was
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) CEO Wendy Spencer. As the
federal agency on service and volunteerism, CNCS is responsible for
administering all federal national service programs, including AmeriCorps,
Senior Corps, the Volunteer Generation Fund, and other service efforts. In
2013, CNCS awarded the Urban Safety Corps Program a $378,871 AmeriCorps grant.
Contingent on federal appropriations, this grant is renewable for two years for
a total three-year investment of more than $1.1 million. CNCS will also make an
estimated $505,200 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards available to AmeriCorps
members who complete the program. These awards can be used to pay for college,
vocational training, or repay student loans.
“For 20 years, AmeriCorps has been a powerful and proven
solution to community needs across the nation,” said Spencer. “I commend
Governor Snyder and Mayor Bing for their leadership in bringing more AmeriCorps
resources to improve public safety in Detroit.
They know what Governors and Mayors across the country know: that AmeriCorps
works - it solves problems, strengthens communities, and expands opportunity
for those who serve.”
In
addition to federal funds from CNCS, the program is projected to generate an
additional $722,000 in cash and in-kind contributions from outside sources, as
required by all AmeriCorps grants. A large number of private funders have
supported the Urban Safety Corps Program including: Wayne State University, the
Skillman Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Henry Ford Health Systems, Jefferson
East, Inc. and the Detroit Medical Center. Two funders in particular, the
Skillman and Kresge Foundations, have provided significant contributions in
2013-2014 that has made the expansion possible.
For
additional information about the Urban Safety Corps, visit AmusDetroit.org.
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AmeriCorps is a competitive grant program for
organizations to host teams of individuals, called members, who provide
intensive, results-driven service to meet community needs across Michigan. In
2013-2014, more than 1,400 AmeriCorps members will provide foreclosure
prevention and financial counseling, help homeless individuals and families
find permanent housing, organize literacy and tutoring programs for
underperforming youth, mentor and support youth from disadvantaged circumstances,
preserve our environment, build houses, feed the hungry, recruit volunteers,
and more. For more information, visit AmeriCorps.gov.
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service and champions community solutions through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads the President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
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