Governor Northam continues ‘Thank You, Virginia’ Tour, announces $27 million for gun violence prevention

RICHMOND (December 10, 2021) —Governor Ralph Northam today continued his ‘Thank You, Virginia’ Tour, announcing that his proposed two-year state budget will include $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services, building on his landmark gun violence prevention measures he has signed into law over the past four years.

“We lose a thousand Virginians to gun violence each year, and we must do everything we can to bring that number to zero,” said Governor Northam. “The new research Center will collect important data that can lead to meaningful change. Gun violence is a public safety and a public health issue, and we have so much work to do to end this epidemic of violence. This data will save lives.”

The Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals, and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. These efforts will receive assistance and resources from the Center. Additionally, training standards and model policies for law-enforcement personnel will be established and updated periodically.

Virginia’s push for common-sense gun safety legislation started in 2019 after 12 people were killed in a mass shooting in Virginia Beach. The Governor called a special session to address gun violence, but the session adjourned after just 90 minutes and no action was taken. In 2020, Governor Northam signed seven new laws to reduce gun violence—including background checks on all gun sales and mandated reporting of lost or stolen firearms. In 2021, Governor Northam signed a law prohibiting a person convicted of assaulting a family member from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm.

“I am proud of the landmark gun violence prevention legislation that we, as an administration, have championed over the past four years,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. “The Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention is the next step for the Commonwealth, and I’m confident it will help ensure Virginia remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.”

“The Department of Criminal Justice Services has knowledgeable and experienced staff and we are prepared to take on the responsibilities of the Governor’s proposal,” said Department of Criminal Justice Services Director Shannon Dion. “We are committed to administering programs that help keep all Virginians safe.”

The Governor made the announcement at the Capitol Square Bell Tower in Richmond.

Virginia is Protecting Public Safety and Reforming Criminal Justice:

Under Governor Northam, Virginia finally passed laws to prevent gun violence—to keep communities safer by keeping prohibited persons away from firearms. The new laws:
• Require background checks on all gun sales.
• Enact a Substantial Risk Protective Order.
• Require reporting of lost and stolen firearms.
• Strengthen the law to prevent children from accessing firearms.
• Reinstate Virginia’s successful one-handgun-a-month policy—first passed 30 years ago.
• Prohibit firearms at polling places.
• Prohibit possession of firearms by persons subject to protective orders.

Governor Northam proposed and signed the law abolishing the death penalty in Virginia—becoming the first Southern state to end capital punishment.

Governor Northam signed landmark legislation to legalize possession of marijuana and seal the records of prior convictions.
• The law creates a new Cannabis Control Authority, establishing a regulatory and licensing structure for safe and equitable marijuana industry.
• The law takes effect three years earlier than originally proposed, and includes provisions to protect public health and safety, as well as the rights of people working in the new industry.

Governor Northam led Virginia’s efforts to prevent violence and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. These include:
• Becoming the first state in the country to ban no-knock search warrants (Breonna’s Law).
• Requiring universal training on de-escalation techniques for law enforcement officers.
• Limiting the circumstances under which law enforcement can use deadly force, including neck restraints (choke-holds)—and requiring officers to intervene if they witness another officer using excessive force.
• Creating a statewide “Marcus Alert” system for responding to mental health crises.
• Advancing Community Policing—requiring law enforcement officers to collect demographic information during all traffic and investigatory stops.

Under Governor Northam’s leadership, Virginia:
• Worked across the aisle to increase the ‘felony larceny threshold’ to $1,000. It had been just $200—the lowest level in the nation—since 1980.
• Maintained one of the lowest rates of recidivism in the country at 23.9%, thanks to investments in re-entry programs in the Department of Corrections.
• Provided bonuses of up to $5,000 for the Virginia State Police, Sheriff’s Deputies, and Jail Officers.
• Ended the oppressive suspension of driver’s licenses for nonpayment of court costs, benefiting up to 600,000 Virginians.
• Increased safety on Virginia roads and improved the lives of undocumented immigrants and their families by issuing more than 39,000 driver privilege cards. Non-citizens, who are Virginia residents, can now drive safely and legally on Virginia roads.
• Vetoed legislation to expand mandatory minimum sentencing, and pledged to veto all future legislation to expand mandatory minimums in Virginia.
• Under the Governor’s budget proposal, newly-sworn state troopers will receive a 7.7 percent pay raise; the starting salary for new correction officers will increase by 25 percent, and the average entry-level salary for deputy sheriffs and regional jail officials will increase by approximately 20 percent.
• The Governor’s budget also includes significant funding to address pay compression and provide additional raises to a range of targeted officers and sworn personnel. Virginia gave one-time bonuses of $3,000 to $5,000 to public safety officials in 2021, in addition to a one-time bonus of $500 in 2020.