Hawai‘i awarded $800,000 targeted violence prevention grant

The Hawai‘i Department of Law Enforcement Office of Homeland Security is receiving a $803,330 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grant from US Department of Homeland Security to expand current initiatives and implement new measures to prevent targeted violence statewide.

“This award demonstrates a commitment by DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships to help us protect our communities from increasing threats of targeted violence,” said Frank Pace, OHS Administrator.

Targeted violence refers to premeditated violence directed toward a specific individual, group, or location. Perpetrators often select their targets as the result of grievances. They may be motivated by many things including religious ideologies, political beliefs, conspiracy theories, or they may be victims of bullying.

The newly allocated funding will enhance statewide targeted violence prevention training for nonprofits, public and private schools and government agencies. The grant will also fund OHS to help Guam development its targeted violence prevention program.

“The Office of Homeland Security is focused on protecting people by providing the resources they need to identify, assist and most importantly, stop those on a pathway to violence. We can’t just react to targeted violence. We must, as a community, recognize the potential for violence and prevent tragedies before they occur,” Pace said.

“The Department of Law Enforcement is committed to using all resources at its disposal to protect our residents through effective enforcement and by working with our communities to implement violence prevention strategies,” said Department of Law Enforcement Director Jordan Lowe.