San Diego just scored a $5 million boost from the state to ramp up its Peacemaker Project, the city-led effort that leans on violence interrupters instead of handcuffs to slow gang and gun violence in high-risk neighborhoods. City officials say the fresh cash will help expand outreach teams, trauma-informed services and wraparound support that aim to head off retaliatory shootings while steering young people toward jobs, counseling and other resources. The work will focus on neighborhoods that have long borne the brunt of gang activity.
The money comes through the California Violence Intervention and Prevention program, or CalVIP, as part of its latest Cohort 5 funding round. According to Governor Gavin Newsom, this round is sending roughly $107 million to community-based violence intervention programs across California.
The city’s Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention, which oversees the Peacemaker Project, is the local recipient. The upcoming work will focus on Council Districts 4, 8, and 9, according to local coverage. Jesus Sandoval, the commission’s executive director, said the award gives the team room to build on early gains and transform lives and break cycles of violence, as reported by the City of San Diego. Officials say the strategy relies on credible messengers and restorative-practice teams that step in after shootings to cool tensions and prevent payback.
How The Peacemaker Project Will Use The Money
Program leaders say the new grant will pay for rapid-response outreach teams, trauma screenings, intensive case management, one-on-one mentoring, employment assistance and re-entry support for people coming out of custody. As outlined by the City of San Diego, the project collaborates with community partners that include Union of Pan Asian Communities, Community Wraparound, Open Heart Leaders, Paving Great Futures, Mothers with a Message and San Ysidro Health Center. Officials say services are designed to be trauma-informed, culturally competent and grounded in restorative-justice practices rather than purely punitive approaches.
Previous Funding And Reach
San Diego first launched the Peacemaker Project with a CalVIP award in 2022, when the program received $3.65 million. During that initial grant period, the project connected more than 1,000 youth and family members to services, according to Inside San Diego.
Why State Funding Matters
CalVIP is built to focus on the relatively small number of people who are at the highest risk of being involved in gun violence, and to invest in neighborhood-based strategies instead of relying only on traditional law enforcement. The program was written into law under Assembly Bill 1603 and, for this funding cohort, is largely backed by fees collected on firearm and ammunition sales, according to the Governor’s Office. Local outlets, including FOX 5 San Diego, have also reported on the award.
What Comes Next
City officials and community partners say they plan to use the $5 million to deepen outreach, expand services in areas where data shows the greatest need and more rigorously track what is working on the ground. Commission meetings and public updates are expected in the coming months as leaders turn the grant paperwork into additional staff, stronger partnerships and more direct support for residents in the neighborhoods most affected by gun violence.
