Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward announced the creation of a new city position to improve public safety against gun violence. The position is a gun violence prevention and intervention program manager.
The new position was announced by Mayor Ward at the Gainesville State of the City Address Tuesday. The position will be a link from the city commission to the community and law enforcement.
“The gun violence prevention and intervention program manager will work across agencies and departments to coordinate data collection, apply research and analyze risk factors with the goal of reducing the proliferation of gun violence in our community,” Mayor Ward said.
Funding for the position is from a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money given to Gainesville. As of now, the position is financially supported until the end of 2026.
City commissioners say they have already interviewed potential candidates for the position. Mayor Ward says the new city employee is expected to begin working within weeks.