Governor Larry Hogan Announces $1 Million in Funding for Victims of Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking in Baltimore City
Administration Announces Additional $500,000 for Baltimore Safe Streets Initiative
Governor Larry Hogan announced administration plans to provide at least $1 million in grant funding to local organizations committed to serving and supporting victims of sexual assault and human trafficking in Baltimore City. As addressed in the recent report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), victims of sexual assault and human trafficking are in need of greater levels of support and protection.
“Protecting the most vulnerable among us must always be the top priority of any government,” said Governor Hogan. “As a father of three strong women and a grandfather to a precious three-year-old girl, it is never far from my mind the responsibility we all share to protect victims of sexual assault. These funds represent immediate action that we can take to improve services to victims and provide for our citizens’ most basic rights to safety and security.”
“I have great confidence in Commissioner Davis, and his leadership has already begun to make a difference in Baltimore City,” the governor continued. “Ultimately, addressing the many issues raised by the DOJ report, including the disproportionate treatment of African Americans and other minorities, is a long process that the city is just beginning to undertake. Going forward, our administration looks forward to working with local leadership and law enforcement on the possible ways the state can continue to support their efforts.”
The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention will utilize federal Victims of Crime Act funding available to the state, as well as other federal funding streams, to provide the funding. A number of applications are currently being considered, awards for which will be made in the early fall. When those awards are made, at least $1 million will be directed to organizations working to identify and serve victims of sexual assault and human trafficking. Organizations such as the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, University of Baltimore School of Law, and University of Maryland, all who partner with service providers throughout the city, are being considered.
In addition, Governor Hogan today announced $500,000 in bridge funding for the Baltimore Safe Streets initiative through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. This funding will allow the program to continue to operate through January, giving the incoming city administration the ability to work with federal, state, and philanthropic partners in developing a long-term sustainability plan.
“The Safe Streets program is a critical anti-violence tool that plays an instrumental part in our efforts to reduce violence in Baltimore,” said Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young. “I would like to thank Governor Hogan for his partnership and for providing Baltimore with the resources needed to help build a safer city. In the coming months, I plan to work with the Governor, city officials and members of Baltimore’s philanthropic community to ensure long-term funding for this important program.”
