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Office of Violence Prevention warns FY26 cuts will reduce community outreach, case management and services
Summary
The Office of Violence Prevention told the Board of Aldermen budget committee that a decline in supplemental grant funding and cuts to several line items in the FY26 budget will force reductions to food at community events, professional services and emergency client assistance that support reentry and youth diversion programs.
The Office of Violence Prevention told St. Louis’ Budget & Public Employees Committee on May 13 that the office’s FY26 approved budget is $8,735,229 but that the loss of prior grant funding has created a substantial shortfall that will reduce services in neighborhoods with the highest crime rates.
"The Office of Violence Prevention was created in August of 2022," Grants Manager Cynthia Davis said, outlining the office’s mission and the 11 target neighborhoods for the city’s community violence intervention (CVI) effort. She said the office manages 53 contracts with community-based organizations through two main programs: Supportive Reentry and Youth Diversion.
The cut list and why it matters: the office said professional services — the line that pays street outreach workers, hospital- and school-based programs, and mental-health partners — is down by about $687,000 in the FY26 proposal. Davis warned that "without that funding, we may have to cut some of the services and funding that we have with our current funded partners." She highlighted other line-item reductions: $18,000 cut from food for community "kickbacks" and peace walks that draw residents to engage with service providers; reductions to a copier lease line used for contract processing; smaller allocations for travel to national conferences and advertising for requests for proposals; and an aggregate reduction in an assistance category used for personal items, emergency shelter and groceries for reentry clients.
Why it matters: Davis described how the kickbacks and peace walks are used to connect residents with service providers — attendees receive a "passport" that requires visiting partner tables before receiving a free meal — and said last year the kickbacks served more than 2,000 residents. She described the supportive reentry program’s 2024 work: it assisted 302 clients, case-managed 24 cases and made 221 outbound referrals to contracted partners. The youth diversion program manages an approximately 26-youth caseload now but, she said, is "getting on its feet" and expects caseloads to grow.
Committee members urged outreach and evidence. Alderman Aldo Amensanyay and others encouraged OVP to bring contracted partners, clients and community members to public hearings and legislative committee meetings so the office’s work is visible before final budget decisions. Several members called professional services the top priority to restore if money becomes available; Davis agreed, calling professional services the program’s "meat and potatoes." She also listed emergency shelter, basic personal items and food at events as high priorities.
Funding context and next steps: OVP said many of the line items now appearing in its local-use-tax budget were previously covered by a grant held by the prior commissioner. Staff said they are actively researching and applying for grants but cautioned that new awards take time to arrive. Aldermen asked for data to show program impact; Davis said funded partners submit monthly data and the office is hiring a data analyst to synthesize partner and police data.
Committee action and outlook: the hearing was a presentation and question-and-answer session; committee members signaled support for the office’s priorities but did not take formal action during the meeting. OVP representatives said they will continue seeking grants and urged the committee and the public to consider the impact of cuts when the full budget is finalized.
