Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Announces $1.8 Million Grant from the State of Wisconsin for Violence Prevention

MILWAUKEE — On March 24, County Executive David Crowley announced that Milwaukee County has been awarded $1.8 million in grant funding from Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention to address suicide prevention, firearm storage, and evidence-based violence intervention and outreach programs. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been awarded $238,729 for suicide prevention and firearm storage, as well as $1,573,082 for evidence-based violence intervention and outreach programs. This grant funding will support work that is being executed throughout 2026.

“Milwaukee County residents and families deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods,” said County Executive Crowley. “Thank you to Governor Evers and the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention for these critical funds that will allow us to continue advancing public safety through violence prevention efforts in key areas where we’ve demonstrated encouraging progress. Together, let’s keep working to foster a safer, stronger, and healthier Milwaukee County.”

Milwaukee County DHHS takes a system-wide approach to preventing violence—using a cross-sector, multi-partner network referred to as the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Ecosystem. Partner organizations work in collaboration to increase services and capacity for gun violence prevention within Milwaukee County. This strong network of partnerships leverages both internal service delivery and external partnerships to achieve strong, sustainable outcomes.

“Mental wellness and community safety are two key focus areas in our 2025 – 2027 strategic plan. This funding will have a tremendously positive impact on advancing the work in these areas,” said Shakita LaGrant-McClain, Executive Director, DHHS. “We will work closely with our community partners to implement proven models and national best practices in addressing community violence.”

The new grant program, launched by Gov. Evers, saw overwhelming interest from violence prevention groups across the state, drawing over 460 applications for funding. Due to the high level of interest, Gov. Evers and the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention dedicated an additional $5 million in federal funding, on top of the $10 million already directed by Gov. Evers, to expand the grants available to serve more communities.

A total of 73 grants from the new grant program were awarded to school districts, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits, firearm dealers, and government agencies across the state in five categories, with grants ranging from approximately $5,000 to a maximum of $1.5 million.