The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia recently announced more than $7 million in grants for the region.
MACON, Ga. (41NBC/WMGT) – Violence prevention and mental health services are expanding in middle Georgia with the help of federal grants Ministry of Justice.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of GeorgiaPeter Leary, recently announced more than $7 million in grants will be awarded to the region.
“The Department of Justice has a comprehensive strategy to combat violent crime,” Leary said. “One component of that within Project Safe Neighborhoods is law enforcement, but a big component is also community intervention, where we try to prevent violence before it occurs.”
In Macon-Bibb County, nearly $2 million was awarded to public safety agencies.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office received a $141,817 grant in collaboration with mental health professionals Riverfront Behavioral Health, to de-escalate behavioral health and substance abuse emergencies.
“This grant is intended to ensure that people experiencing a mental health crisis receive the support they need, which may include medical intervention rather than incarceration,” Leary explained.
The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office also received $385,000 to hire a domestic violence investigator and prosecutor.
Leary says while his office works with law enforcement to prosecute violent crimes, violence prevention is just as important.
That’s why $1.2 million was awarded to the upcoming Family Justice Center, One Safe Place Macon, where victims of domestic violence can access the help they need in one place.
According to the director of One Safe Place Macon for Central Georgia Crisis Line and Safe HouseSarah Schank, the grant helped accelerate the center’s development process.
“Well, that’s a groundbreaking amount of money,” Schank said. “We’ve had a lot of really different funding streams, but this is a big gift that provides the impetus for us to open the doors.”
One Safe Place Macon is scheduled to open in 2024.
Schank says the grant will allow the Family Justice Center to hire core staff such as customer service representatives and support the center’s growth by providing a welcoming environment for clients.
“We know that cities with dynamic family law centers tend to see declines in their domestic violence homicide rates,” she said. “They see a reduction in their serious offending, they see better outcomes for their survivors and they see increased accountability for offenders.”
Cities in the Middle District of Georgia that received grants from the Department of Justice include Albany, Americus, Athens, Butler, Columbus, Macon, Thomasville, Tifton and Warner Robins.
