During the 2023 calendar year, the Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI) team, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and supported by the National Policing Institute (NPI), the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and NPI’s partner, the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association (SRLEEA), planned, launched, marketed, and closed the second RVCRI grant application cohort. The RVCRI team also provided training and technical assistance (TTA) support to 13 existing BJA grantees and 32 micrograntees.

Throughout 2023, the RVCRI team worked closely with rural law enforcement agencies to enhance and update the application process, ensuring that it was comprehensive, accessible, and user-friendly, and provided tailored TTA support throughout the process. The following report highlights the work that NPI, as a part of the broader RVCRI team, conducted to award and administer grants that support rural violent crime reduction plans, assist RVCRI grantees in developing and implementing those strategies, and assess the outcomes and impact of those efforts. The report is organized according to the RVCRI program objectives outlined in the collaborative agreement.

2023 highlights include

• Received nearly 100 RVCRI applications for microgrant funding
• Awarded over $3.3 million in microgrant funding to 32 agencies
• Marketed the RVCRI program and application through social media, newsletters, listservs, conference attendances, and
  memberships, reaching over 21,000 individuals
• Participated in 14 interest calls and responded to 172 interest emails
• Facilitated 24 customized TTA engagements and provided management support through check-in calls with 13 BJA-direct funded agencies and 32 micrograntees
• Updated and maintained a website and resource directory that reached over 5,500 users and had over 16,000 pageviews with more than 140 new Application Portal accounts created
• Developed 9 deliverables to assist with the application process and grant management activities related to the RVCRI
• Hosted or participated in 2 orientation events, 1 solicitation webinar, 1 office hours event, 3 webinars, and 4 Rural Roundtables reaching nearly 500 attendees
• Attended 4 conferences to support RVCRI grantee attendance and gather knowledge and resources for those unable to attend