The Fairmont, North Carolina, Police Department (FPD) has a total staff of 13, serving a population of 2,176. FPD reports a recent rise in incidents involving juvenile gun violence, burglaries, and narcotic-related offenses. The overall per capita violent crime rate is triple that of the State of North Carolina. Additionally, FPD reports a per capita property crime rate that exceeds the North Carolina state and national rates by a significant margin.

With limited front-line staff, Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI) funding will help address capacity concerns while allowing a focus on both intervention and prevention work. FPD proposed funding comprehensive Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) efforts that include new programs for youth and families, and services for victims of crime in the community. Such programs could include positive youth engagement activities, community-oriented policing, introducing violence interrupters to decrease gang retaliation, and establishing mental health services for victims of crime. To support project administration and implementation, FPD is partnering with the North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention Center and Color of Life, LLC to support project activities specific to community outreach and engagement with a focus on de-escalation of gang conflicts.