Is it the role of the Federal government to get guns off the streets of Fresno? If this is a priority for the Fresno government, then why are they not paying for it? Or is this just another scam, a way to pay political workers and their friends. Is this an agency that is just a placeholder for political activists/
Importantly, why isn’t this run by the police department? Because in this way they can hire people in administrative roles—just to give them a political job? Want this agency, let the people of Fresno pay for it.
Fresno’s controversial gun violence program has Federal funding yanked
The federal government is no longer supporting Fresno’s Advance Peace program with millions in taxpayer dollars.
by Daniel Gligich, The Sun, 4/28/25 https://sjvsun.com/news/fresno/fresnos-controversial-gun-violence-program-has-federal-funding-yanked/
A Fresno gun violence prevention program that pays people to not shoot others, has lost a major federal grant.
According to a report from McClatchy, Advance Peace lost a $2 million grant from the Department of Justice without any warning.
The big picture: The Department of Justice awarded Advance Peace the $2 million grant for three years in 2023 through the federal Programs Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative.
- USAspending.gov reports that nearly $740,000 of the grant has been paid out to Advance Peace so far.
What he’s saying: Interim Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission CEO Brian Angus revealed that the federal government pulled the grant from Advance Peace.
- “On Tuesday afternoon, Fresno EOC Advance Peace Fresno received word that its $2 million, three-year grant from the Department of Justice ended immediately with no forewarning,” Angus told McClatchy.
Go deeper: Advance Peace provides a stipend to would-be shooters to not shoot anyone – an effort to crack down on gang violence.
- The 18-month fellowship program targets likely shooters to help lead them to live a healthy lifestyle.
- Along with the stipends, Advance Peace also offers other services, including intervention services to Fresno youth to interrupt the cycle of retaliatory violence.
Flashback: While paying would-be shooters is a controversial plan on its face, Advance Peace drew intense criticism after employee Leonard Smith was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit two murders in 2022.
