The Wichita Council is debating funding for a gun violence program

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A program intended to reduce violent crime in Wichita is in limbo.

The violence interrupter program, Cure Violence, is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council will vote on two issues related to the program. Either you let the program continue until 2025 without the need for additional money, or you fund Cure Violence for an additional year, through September 2026, with a price tag of $1.6 million, which is also ARPA money where the city still has.

Wichita City Mayor Lily Wu has proposed spending the $1.6 million in COVID funds elsewhere, with helping the Wichita Fire Department at the forefront.

“There are three options: a fire storage facility, Patrol East, or option C, a fire apparatus,” Wu said during the City Council agenda review meeting on Friday.

“If we choose fire over violence interrupters, does that mean future CIP dollars can be freed up for other things?” Mayor Wu asked Wichita City Manager Robert Layton.

Layton responded that if the proposed $1.6 million for the violence interrupter program were instead redirected to a CIP project, more money would be freed up for other CIP projects. The cash diversion comes as the city faces a budget deficit.

The analysis explaining the rationale for the expansion of the violence interrupter program states: “However, delayed effects such as behavior change or health improvements take time to manifest and should be evaluated over a longer period of time.” If the program were to end early, the city could essentially miss out on the long-term impact of reducing gun violence.

A team of thirteen people, who stand out in bright orange clothing, are part of Wichita’s Violence Interrupter Initiative, Heal violencea nonprofit program with Destination Innovation, focused on two areas in the northeast and southern parts of Wichita. The goal is to reduce gun violence in the city.

Councilwoman Becky Tuttle said during the agenda review that Chief Joe Sullivan touted the violence interrupter program Friday when discussing a shooting that left a 13-year-old boy dead. Tuttle was confused that the city was creating a battle between public safety programs: “It feels a little strange to me that we have to decide between police and fire.”

Friday’s discussion during the council’s agenda review follows the Wichita Fire Union ethics complaint against Wu for telling Wichita Fire Department Chief Tammy Snow to cut 42 positions.