After years of fighting, Fresno will fund anti-gun violence plan. Here’s what changed

Fresno City Council on Thursday unanimously approved $1.5 million in violence prevention programs, giving community members the chance to prove whether the Advance Peace model will prevent young Fresnans from becoming shooting victims.

The unanimous vote was an example of “One Fresno,” said Aaron Foster, program manager for Advance Peace, a nod to Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer’s campaign slogan.

“I know that Advance Peace changes lives,” Councilmember Tyler Maxwell said. “I know that they save lives, and I know that they save our city taxpayer dollars by preventing these violent crimes — gun related crimes — before they ever take place.”

City funding for Advance Peace became a lightning-rod issue in 2019 when the Fresno City Council first considered the program and then-mayor Lee Brand later vetoed the funding. The program identifies people most likely to commit gun crimes and provides them mentorship to reach life and professional goals. The program received push back because some fellows become eligible for a monetary stipend after reaching key milestones, which some critics said amounted to paying people to not commit crime.

The City Council’s vote on Thursday approved a $375,000 contract with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission to operate the program. Under the contract, Advance Peace will begin a “junior fellowship” program for young people as young as age 9.

The stipend was the major sticking point for Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, one of the program’s loudest critics. Under the “junior fellowship” program, fellows won’t be eligible for a stipend. Bredefeld said he was happy to support the modified version.

The City Council also approved 12 other contracts with community-based organizations for violence intervention and prevention. In total, the City Council approved $1.5 million in contracts, using both American Rescue Plan Act funding and the city’s general fund money.

Before the vote, councilmembers also questioned how the program would interact with Fresno Police Department. That relationship found itself under the microscope earlier this year when an Advance Peace employee was arrested during Operation No Fly Zone, a massive multi-agency gang operation.

While people such as Foster do work informally with Fresno police, the police department does not share sensitive information with Advance Peace, city leaders confirmed.

Dyer reminded the City Council that 13 organizations were on the agenda, and each one of them provided different services, such as trauma-informed training or culturally sensitive work with Black and Latino communities.

“All of these 13 organizations are working collectively together,” Dyer said. “This this award process has been a beautiful process.”