How much funding does Austin's Office of Violence Prevention have?
As police continue to investigate a southeast Austin shooting that killed two people and injured another, KXAN took a look at the City's efforts to reduce gun violence.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As police continue to investigate a southeast Austin shooting that killed two people and injured another, KXAN took a look at the City's efforts to reduce gun violence.
The Austin Police Department (APD) operates community policing efforts and also provides free gun locks to the public.
When it comes to community violence intervention efforts, that's where the Office of Violence Prevention comes in.
"We use data to understand what's driving firearm violence in the city, and we work to scale programming," said Michelle Myles, the group's manager.
Nonprofits that operated independently, like Life Anew and Jail to Jobs, are now part of the Office of Violence Prevention.
The graphic below shows how much money the office currently has. City funding is subject to the standard annual budgetary process.
KXAN asked Myles if she thinks this money is sufficient.
"That's a good question," she said. "I mean we are seeking federal earmarks, so we can scale to the level of need, so that's why we're taking that approach."
APD continues to investigate southeast Austin shooting
Wednesday's shooting in southeast Austin happened in the 2300 block of S. Pleasant Valley Road, according to APD. Someone called 911 around 11:30 p.m.
Officers found three victims when they got there. One died on scene, another died in the hospital, and another should be OK.
Investigators believe this was an isolated incident, and there's no threat to the public.