WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A program meant to mitigate violent crime in Wichita is in limbo.

The violent disruption program, Cure Violence, is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council will vote on two things related to the program. Allow the program to extend through 2025 without needing additional money or fund Cure Violence for an additional year, through September 2026, with a price tag of $1.6 million, which is also ARPA money the city still has.

City of Wichita Mayor Lily Wu has proposed diverting $1.6 million in COVID funds elsewhere, with a priority to help the Wichita Fire Department.

“There are three options: fire storage facility, Patrol East, or option C, fire apparatus,” Wu said at the city council’s agenda review meeting on Friday.

“If we choose fire over violence interrupters, does that mean future CIP dollars could be freed up for other items?” Mayor Wu asked Wichita City Manager Robert Layton.

Layton responded that if the $1.6 million proposed for the violence interruption program were diverted to a CIP project, that would free up more money for other CIP projects. The diversion of money comes as the city faces a budget shortfall.

The analysis explaining the reason for the extension of the violence interruption program says: “However, delayed effects, such as behavioral changes or health improvements, take time to manifest and must be evaluated over a longer period.” Essentially, if the program were cut early, the city could lose the ability to understand the long-term effect of mitigating gun violence.

A team of 13 people, who stand out by wearing bright orange, are part of the Wichita Violence Interruption Initiative. Cure violencea nonprofit program with Destination Innovation, focused on two areas in northeast and south Wichita. The goal is to reduce gun violence in the city.

Council member Becky Tuttle said during agenda review that Chief Joe Sullivan touted the violence interruption program Friday when he talked about a shooting that left a 13-year-old boy dead. Tuttle was confused that the council is creating a fight between public safety programs: “It seems a little strange to me that we’re deciding between police and fire.”

Friday’s discussion of the council’s agenda review comes on the heels of the Wichita Fire Union Ethics Complaint against Wu for allegedly telling Wichita Fire Department Chief Tammy Snow to cut 42 positions.

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