NASHVILLE, TN (TN Tribune) – Another $1 million-plus is headed to Nashville’s neighborhoods, to support grassroots violence reduction efforts through Mayor John Cooper’s Community Safety Partnership.
Metro Council on January 4 approved Mayor Cooper’s plan to invest $300,000 in the Napier Place and Sudekum Apartments communities, plus expand Nashville’s Cure Violence program, using federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars.
“Community safety requires a community-wide effort,” Mayor Cooper said. “This work takes all of us, supporting one another and learning from each other. And it takes Metro government, championing that response and investing in the strategies that work best for our neighborhoods.”
Since the mayor launched his Community Safety Partnership in March 2021, $105,000 in grants has been awarded to 21 local nonprofits across Davidson County – with more to come.
$300,000 Headed to Napier Place and Sudekum Apartments
$300,000 in ARP dollars will support a community safety plan in these communities.
Residents and community leaders collaborated with the Metro Development and Housing Agency, Metro Police and Ron Johnson – who leads the mayor’s Community Safety Partnership – on a neighborhood plan for:
· Traffic calming on Charles E. Davis Boulevard
· Lighting repairs
· Additional resources for the nearby Pruitt branch of Nashville Public Library at 117 Charles E. Davis Blvd.
· Upgrades needed to reopen the pool at the Napier Community Center at 73 Fairfield Ave.
These investments are the latest neighborhood infrastructure improvements for the area; others include bus stop and bus shelter projects on Lafayette Street, Lewis Street and Charles E. Davis Boulevard, as well as maintenance and upgrades at Napier Elementary (67 Fairfield Ave.), Cameron College Prep (1034 1st Ave. S.) and Johnson Alternative Learning Center (1200 2nd Ave. S.).
About Nashville’s Cure Violence Program
This pilot program, dedicated to neighborhoods in North Nashville, is now funded at $1.75 million– up from an initial $1 million – to stretch across two years. It will now also include training and technical support for the local nonprofits that receive Cure Violence grants for neighborhood safety efforts.
To learn more about the mayor’s Cure Violence initiative, including how to apply for funding: hub.nashville.gov.
About Mayor Cooper’s Community Safety Partnership Mayor Cooper in March 2021 named Ron Johnson as Metro Nashville’s first Community Safety Coordinator.
Johnson, a veteran coalition builder and violence prevention expert, leads the mayor’s community safety initiative as he collaborates with neighborhood groups and nonprofits, the mayor’s 11-person, resident-volunteer Community Safety Partnership Advisory Board and Metro Nashville Police.
To learn more about the mayor’s community safety partnership: hub.nashville.gov.
