The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to ratify and accept grant funding for the Gun Violence Reduction Program. The funds from the grant – which are provided by the California Department of Justice and total $652,575 – will support the efforts for the Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing Armed Prohibited Persons Program. The two-year grant will cover the salary and benefits for a full-time investigator dedicated to the program.
“We’re proud to partner with the California Department of Justice and support the efforts to keep our community safe,” said Sheriff Bill Ayub. “We’ve had great success in keeping firearms out of the hands of individuals who shouldn’t have them. The efforts to do so have contributed to Ventura County being one of the safest counties in the nation.”
The goal of the Sheriff’s Office APPS Program is to disarm prohibited persons within Ventura County. These prohibited individuals have been convicted of felonies, are subject to restraining orders, or have mental health prohibitions, amongst other prohibitions. The Sheriff’s Office detective will act as a liaison with the California Department of Justice and local police agencies in Ventura County to complete program goals. The program also enforces Gun Violence Restraining Orders to disarm individuals that have made threats of violence or are a danger to the community.
Over the past 30 months, VCSO deputies have completed 254 investigations and recovered 78 firearms. As a result, guns have been removed from the possession of 193 individuals who are prohibited to have firearms due to prior convictions or mental health issues. This funding will ensure the Sheriff’s Office can continue to work to remove firearms from individuals on the APPS list.
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