About The Office of Safer Communities

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is leading the implementation of statewide initiatives and funding opportunities aimed at reducing violence and promoting public safety. The goal is to create a safer environment for all Virginians by implementing a proactive approach to reduce violent crime and ensure all citizens are protected. The Office of Safer Communities (OSC) is a part of the Office of Safer Communities and Youth Services (OSCYS), within the Division of Programs and Services. The OSC provides support to address the needs of communities impacted by violent crime through the promotion and expansion of evidence-based interventions, strategic coordination, and data-driven performance metrics.

OSC is responsible for: 

1. Providing localities with direct technical assistance for capacity building, planning, and sustainability;
2. Serving as a resource for research and best practices for community-based violence intervention and prevention programs; and
3. Issuing grant solicitations from funds, including the Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention (FVIP) Grant Fund and the Operation Ceasefire Grant Program (OCGP), in addition to the Safer Communities Program funding.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Partnership

OSC has contracted with the Virginia Commonwealth University L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Center for Public Policy (“the Center”). Over several years, the Center will provide strategic planning, program evaluation, and data-driven innovations to improve the public sector’s response to community violence. The Center will provide support to both the Office and directly to grantees across Virginia, including units of local government, law enforcement agencies, and community-based nonprofit organizations.