City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 21, 2023
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: BRYAN PORTER, COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Grant Application to the 2024 Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Operation Ceasefire Grant Program for Local Prosecutorial Resources for the Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a Grant Application to the 2024 Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Operation Ceasefire Grant Program: Local Prosecutorial Resources.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
(1) Retroactively approve the submission of the grant application (applied on October 30, 2023) for up to $479,748; and
(2) Authorize the City Manager to execute all the necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services has created a grant opportunity in 2024 for local Commonwealth Attorneys’ offices. The scope of this grant is to propose initiatives that will reduce violent crime in Virginia while implementing effective and sustainable solutions to intercept and eliminate local cycles of violence. DCJS has $5 million available statewide with localities able to apply for up to $500,000 with no match required. Any funding awarded must be spent over a 36-month period beginning January 1, 2024.
DISCUSSION: The Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney (OCA) proposes using grant funds to hire an experienced prosecutor whose job responsibilities are solely focused on the prosecution of offenses committed through the illegal purchase, possession, and or use of a firearm.
Alexandria has seen a pronounced increase in gun violence in recent years. For example, in 2022, Alexandria had a 100% increase in firearms related offenses relative to the prior year. Currently firearms offenses are prosecuted by the same Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney who handles juvenile delinquency cases. That docket has also seen significant growth due to a rise in violent crime (juvenile misdemeanors are up 49% in 2023 and juvenile felonies are up 122%). At the same time, existing OCA resources place limits on the ability to simply reassign firearms cases to other prosecutors.
If awarded by this grant, a prosecutor hired to focus solely on firearms crime will be tasked with assisting the Alexandria Police Department in enhancing the investigation of firearms offenses using the Multijurisdictional Grand Jury, an investigative body with powerful tools that can be utilized to build stronger cases. The prosecutor will also be responsible for collaborating with federal agencies and law enforcement in neighboring jurisdictions to design and implement cooperative strategies for addressing regional gun violence. This would be facilitated by the prosecutor’s participation in the Northern Virginia Gun Crime Enforcement Taskforce. Finally, the prosecutor will be responsible for implementing a prosecution strategy with respect to firearms cases that emphasizes accountability and deterrence by giving these cases increased prosecutorial attention and resources.
The proposed budget for this grant would allow for the hiring of an experienced prosecutor (including fringe benefits), accounts for that individual’s anticipated merit increases over the three-year cycle of the grant and covers attendant cost associated with the hiring such as office furniture, training, and professional fees such as Bar membership.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no required match from the City and, therefore, no additional fiscal impact from this grant. The Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney understands that this is a 36 month-limited grant and will require any individual hired to sign a statement acknowledging that the position is grant funded and terminates on December 31, 2026, unless the state provides a continuation grant.
STAFF:
Yon Lambert, Deputy City Manager
David Lord, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney