(a) There is established within the Office of the Governor, the Virgin Islands Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The Office is tasked with formulating effective and innovative strategies designed to reduce and prevent gun violence in the Virgin Islands, and to make recommendations to the Legislature of the Virgin Islands for legislation to strengthen gun laws and for initiatives that provide recreational, vocational and economic opportunities for young adults in the Virgin Islands. These objectives shall be met by establishing strong alliances and partnerships with the law enforcement community; social service agencies and organizations; non-profit and faith-based organizations; community leaders, including elected officials; concerned residents, victims, survivors, and violence interrupters; and private and public sector and local and federal government agencies and partners.
(b) Among the staff of the Virgin Islands Office of Gun Violence Prevention shall be an Executive Director, District Directors, Survivor Engagement Specialists, Community Engagement Coordinators, Analysts who specialize in statistical data collection, an Office Manager, and Violence Interrupters. The Governor shall appoint the Executive Director, who shall report directly to the Governor. Other personnel shall be hired based on practices and procedures set forth in title 3, chapter 25 and title 24, chapter 14 of this Code, and other practices and procedures of the Government of the Virgin Islands.
(c) The Office of Gun Violence Prevention shall:(1) Collaborate and convene with: non-governmental agencies and wraparound service providers involved in gun violence prevention, intervention, and public safety; governmental agencies, such as the Virgin Islands Police Department, the Virgin Islands Department of Labor, the Virgin Islands Department of Justice, the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission, and the Virgin Islands Department of Health, Division of Mental Health; and other entities that offer employment and dispute resolution programs for young adults;(2) Help organize and take part in initiatives that bring awareness to the ill-effects of gun violence in the community, such as press conferences, marches, prayer vigils, town halls, community meetings, trainings, conferences, seminars, workshops, retreats and healing circles;(3) Establish a resource line for referrals and counseling;(4) Liaise with the business community to assist the Office in developing and promoting its initiatives;(5) Liaise and work with other entities and persons who offer programs geared toward youth development, delinquency reduction, and rehabilitation, such as guidance counselors, mentorship programs, vocational programs, visual arts programs, pre-trial intervention programs, and re-entry programs;(6) Provide counseling and resources referrals to families;(7) Establish a means, either through a mobile unit or otherwise, to take services and resources into the neighborhoods and for use as an educational tool on youth safety;(8) Work to achieve and foster better relations between the law enforcement community and residents;(9) Compile data on the incidents of gun injuries and deaths in the Virgin Islands and issue quarterly reports to entities that provide assistance to the Office, and issue an annual report prior to the Governor’s annual State of the Territory address; and(10) Submit to the Governor and the Legislature by August 31 annually a report setting forth the initiatives it has taken and the programs it has participated in or initiated.
(1) Collaborate and convene with: non-governmental agencies and wraparound service providers involved in gun violence prevention, intervention, and public safety; governmental agencies, such as the Virgin Islands Police Department, the Virgin Islands Department of Labor, the Virgin Islands Department of Justice, the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission, and the Virgin Islands Department of Health, Division of Mental Health; and other entities that offer employment and dispute resolution programs for young adults;
(2) Help organize and take part in initiatives that bring awareness to the ill-effects of gun violence in the community, such as press conferences, marches, prayer vigils, town halls, community meetings, trainings, conferences, seminars, workshops, retreats and healing circles;
(3) Establish a resource line for referrals and counseling;
(4) Liaise with the business community to assist the Office in developing and promoting its initiatives;
(5) Liaise and work with other entities and persons who offer programs geared toward youth development, delinquency reduction, and rehabilitation, such as guidance counselors, mentorship programs, vocational programs, visual arts programs, pre-trial intervention programs, and re-entry programs;
(6) Provide counseling and resources referrals to families;
(7) Establish a means, either through a mobile unit or otherwise, to take services and resources into the neighborhoods and for use as an educational tool on youth safety;
(8) Work to achieve and foster better relations between the law enforcement community and residents;
(9) Compile data on the incidents of gun injuries and deaths in the Virgin Islands and issue quarterly reports to entities that provide assistance to the Office, and issue an annual report prior to the Governor’s annual State of the Territory address; and
(10) Submit to the Governor and the Legislature by August 31 annually a report setting forth the initiatives it has taken and the programs it has participated in or initiated.
(d) The Virgin Islands Police Department and all health care facilities that are under the jurisdiction of the V.I. Government Hospitals and Health Facilities Corporation shall report all incidents of gun violence, and injuries or fatalities due to gun violence, to the Virgin Islands Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
(e) As used in this section:(1) “Violence interrupter” means a culturally appropriate worker or former gang member who identifies and intervenes in gang-related conflicts using a variety of conflict mediation techniques to prevent imminent violence, change the norms around the need to use violence, and detect potential retaliatory violence.(2) “Wraparound service provider” means a service delivery provider who employs a comprehensive, holistic approach of responding to the needs of victims of gun violence through collaborative efforts and partnerships with agencies and organizations, designed to build constructive relationships and a support network for victims of gun violence.(3) “Survivor Engagement Specialist” means a person who engages with families who have lost a loved one due to gun violence, develops and implements survivor engagement and outreach efforts, coordinates survivor projects, events and activities, and coordinates legislative initiatives to empower survivors.(4) “Community Engagement Coordinator” means a person who implements and administers effective outreach programs or events and works with community members, including government and non-governmental agencies and organizations, to increase engagement in initiatives that support gun violence prevention.
(1) “Violence interrupter” means a culturally appropriate worker or former gang member who identifies and intervenes in gang-related conflicts using a variety of conflict mediation techniques to prevent imminent violence, change the norms around the need to use violence, and detect potential retaliatory violence.
(2) “Wraparound service provider” means a service delivery provider who employs a comprehensive, holistic approach of responding to the needs of victims of gun violence through collaborative efforts and partnerships with agencies and organizations, designed to build constructive relationships and a support network for victims of gun violence.
(3) “Survivor Engagement Specialist” means a person who engages with families who have lost a loved one due to gun violence, develops and implements survivor engagement and outreach efforts, coordinates survivor projects, events and activities, and coordinates legislative initiatives to empower survivors.
(4) “Community Engagement Coordinator” means a person who implements and administers effective outreach programs or events and works with community members, including government and non-governmental agencies and organizations, to increase engagement in initiatives that support gun violence prevention.