2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 1 - Government Organization › Chapter 3 - Specified Governmental Authority › Subchapter I - Additional Governmental Powers and Responsibilities › Part L - Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice › § 1–301.192. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice grant-making authority

§ 1–301.192. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice grant-making authority.
(a) The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice ("Deputy Mayor") shall have grant-making authority for the purpose of providing grants to support the Safe Passage Safe Blocks program, which provides a presence and safe passage for students and families as they travel to and from school.
(b)(1) The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice ("Deputy Mayor") shall establish a pilot, under which the Deputy Mayor shall have grantmaking authority to issue grants to eligible organizations, as described in paragraph (2) of this subsection, solely for the purpose of creating or augmenting a Safe Commercial Corridors Program, which shall promote public safety and health through evidence-based activities for residents, workers, and visitors within the area served by the organization and the surrounding area ("commercial district").
(2) To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, an organization shall:
(A) Serve the District's residents, workers, business owners, property owners, and visitors of a commercial corridor in the Downtown, Shaw, or Adams Morgan neighborhoods; and
(B) Engage in the maintenance of public and commercial spaces in a commercial corridor in the Downtown, Shaw, or Adams Morgan neighborhoods.
(3) An organization seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit to the Deputy Mayor a proposed Safe Commercial Corridors Program application, in a form prescribed by the Deputy Mayor, which shall include:
(A) A description of the public safety and health problems faced in the commercial district;
(B) A Safe Commercial Corridors Program Plan describing how the applicant proposes to spend the grant funds in evidence-based ways to address the public safety and health problems identified in the application and to promote improvements in public safety and health in the commercial district;
(C) A Clean Hands certification; and
(D) Any additional information requested by the Deputy Mayor.
(4) A Safe Commercial Corridors Program Plan may include the following activities:
(A) Relationship-building with residents, workers, businesses, and regular visitors;
(B) Connecting residents, workers, visitors, and businesses with resources available through District government agencies and direct service providers;
(C) Providing safe passage for individuals who request accompaniment walking to transit or their vehicles;
(D) Assisting business owners with improvements to their security and safety systems and protocols;
(E) Responding to individuals with substance use disorders and implementing harm-reduction strategies;
(F) Implementing de-escalation techniques;
(G) Deterring crime and public safety violations;
(H) Liaising with residents, workers, businesses, visitors, District public safety and health agencies, direct service providers in the community, and others as appropriate;
(I) Providing culturally competent services and programming; and
(J) Implementing other innovative strategies to promote public safety.
(5) Organizations receiving funds pursuant to this subsection shall endeavor to coordinate with other organizations receiving funds pursuant to this subsection and to share results and lessons learned from implementation of a Safe Commercial Corridors Program and other public safety efforts implemented by the organization.
(6) A grant awarded pursuant to this subsection may be used to pay for the costs of:
(A) Salary and fringe benefits for staff;
(B) Equipment, training, training materials, uniforms, first aid and other medical materials and equipment, and other materials and equipment for purposes of implementing the Safe Commercial Corridors Program; and
(C) Other costs that support improved public safety and health pursuant to the Safe Commercial Corridors Program Plan.
(7) An organization receiving a grant pursuant to this subsection shall submit a report to the Deputy Mayor by the end of each fiscal year in which funds are received containing the following:
(A) An evaluation of the success of its Safe Commercial Corridors Program, including a detailed description of the program activities;
(B) A description of any training or support provided to program staff;
(C) A summary of the number and types of interactions between program staff and residents, visitors, businesses, and other individuals;
(D) Evidence indicating the impact of the program activities on public safety and health indicators; and
(E) Any other data or information as required by the Deputy Mayor.
(Sept. 6, 2023, D.C. Law 25-50, § 3022, 70 DCR 10366.)
Editor's Notes
Section 3024 of D.C. Law 25-50 provided that in Fiscal Year 2024, the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement shall award a grant, on a competitive basis, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, to a nonprofit organization or community-based organization that satisfies certain conditions.
Section 3023 of D.C. Law 25-50 provided that in Fiscal Year 2024, the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants shall award a grant, on a competitive basis, in an amount not to exceed $200,000, to a community-based organization to support the Violence Prevention and Response Team ("VPART"), including coordinating and leading VPART meetings and providing services to support the District's response to hate crimes, including cultural competency training for relevant agency staff and other service providers.