Shelby County leaders outline joint violence‑intervention, reentry and victim‑services plans and warn of funding shortfalls

Shelby County and partner agencies on Monday described steps to coordinate violence‑intervention work, expand reentry housing and rebuild victim services after the Family Safety Center’s abrupt closure — but officials warned the work depends on securing new local, state and federal funding.

Valerie Matthews, director of the Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, said the office has moved to convene nonprofit and government partners and “we surveyed, about 65 nonprofit organizations” to identify needs such as data capacity and grant‑writing support. The joint office is running monthly technical‑assistance sessions with the University of Memphis and expects community‑driven projects from a countywide convening called Safer Memphis 365.

Why it matters: Officials said the city and county must coordinate prevention, intervention and reentry services so short‑term enforcement gains are paired with programs that keep people from returning to violent activity. Commissioners and agency directors repeatedly urged that budget decisions this year reflect that balance.

Most important developments

- Joint office convenings and training. Matthews described three levels of coordination — the broad Safer Memphis 365, a smaller Impact group focused on high‑risk individuals (the community violence intervention, or CVI, cohort) and the Public Safety Task Force that brings those findings to policy makers. The joint office is also working with LISC and University of Memphis staff to improve nonprofits’ data collection and grant competitiveness.

- Gun‑violence intervention (GBI) work. Darren Goodes, public safety adviser to…