OVW Grant: Firearms Technical Assistance for Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Pilot Sites

Abusers often use or threaten to use firearms against victims of domestic violence, as well as threatening the victim’s children, friends, and relatives. Research demonstrates that when an abuser has access to a firearm, domestic violence is far more likely to be deadly; in fact, an abuser’s access to firearms is the single greatest risk factor for intimate partner homicide, with the risk increasing five-fold. Unfortunately, this risk is widespread. National data describe firearms as the overwhelming weapon of choice in intimate partner homicides. According to the FBI’s most recent Supplementary Homicide Report, more than half (55%) of intimate partner homicides were committed with a firearm in 2015. This figure has remained the same over the past decade; from 2001 to 2012, 55% of women killed by intimate partners were shot with a firearm. In addition to their lethality, firearms are used by abusers to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control over victims.

Beginning in FY 2012, the appropriation for OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses (ICJR) Program (CFDA# 16.590) has included a $4,000,000 allocation to address domestic violence homicide prevention interventions (DVHPI). In FY 2016 and FY 2018, DVHPI funds were used to support the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ (NCJFCJ) Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP), which helps communities identify challenges limiting a more robust implementation of domestic violence firearms laws in their jurisdictions and assists them in establishing a localized response that is best suited to their communities’ unique needs and characteristics. In 2019, six firearms sites were selected to receive intensive training and technical assistance under the FTAP. The FTAP focuses on ICJR purpose area 22 (domestic violence homicide reduction), and will help inform the ICJR Program on best and promising practices for jurisdictions implementing firearms relinquishment policies and practices throughout the civil and criminal justice system. DVHPI funds currently support intensive training and technical assistance through FTAP for six non-funded sites: Birmingham, AL; Columbus, OH; Muskogee Creek Nation, OK; Brooklyn, NY; the state of Vermont; and Spokane, WA (FTAP Sites). In order to deepen this work, OVW will provide non-competitive funding directly to the six initial FTAP sites and offer competitive funding to support up to six additional sites to participate in the FTAP Initiative.

For additional information about the ICJR Program and related performance measures, including how awards contribute to the achievement of program goals and objectives, see:

OVW grant program information: OVW Grants and Programs webpage
Program performance measures under the Measuring Effectiveness Initiative: VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative webpage
Examples of successful projects in OVW’s most recent report to Congress on the effectiveness of VAWA grant programs: 2018 Biennial Report

Abusers often use or threaten to use firearms against victims of domestic violence, as well as threatening the victim’s children, friends, and relatives. Research demonstrates that when an abuser has access to a firearm, domestic violence is far more likely to be deadly; in fact, an abuser’s access to firearms is the single greatest risk factor for intimate partner homicide, with the risk increasing five-fold. Unfortunately, this risk is widespread. National data describe firearms as the overwhelming weapon of choice in intimate partner homicides. According to the FBI’s most recent Supplementary Homicide Report, more than half (55%) of intimate partner homicides were committed with a firearm in 2015. This figure has remained the same over the past decade; from 2001 to 2012, 55% of women killed by intimate partners were shot with a firearm. In addition to their lethality, firearms are used by abusers to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control over victims.

Beginning in FY 2012, the appropriation for OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses (ICJR) Program (CFDA# 16.590) has included a $4,000,000 allocation to address domestic violence homicide prevention interventions (DVHPI). In FY 2016 and FY 2018, DVHPI funds were used to support the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ (NCJFCJ) Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP), which helps communities identify challenges limiting a more robust implementation of domestic violence firearms laws in their jurisdictions and assists them in establishing a localized response that is best suited to their communities’ unique needs and characteristics. In 2019, six firearms sites were selected to receive intensive training and technical assistance under the FTAP. The FTAP focuses on ICJR purpose area 22 (domestic violence homicide reduction), and will help inform the ICJR Program on best and promising practices for jurisdictions implementing firearms relinquishment policies and practices throughout the civil and criminal justice system. DVHPI funds currently support intensive training and technical assistance through FTAP for six non-funded sites: Birmingham, AL; Columbus, OH; Muskogee Creek Nation, OK; Brooklyn, NY; the state of Vermont; and Spokane, WA (FTAP Sites). In order to deepen this work, in FY 2021, OVW will provide non-competitive funding directly to the six initial FTAP sites and offer competitive funding to support up to six additional sites to participate in the FTAP Initiative.

For additional information about the ICJR Program and related performance measures, including how awards contribute to the achievement of program goals and objectives, see:

OVW grant program information: OVW Grants and Programs webpage
Program performance measures under the Measuring Effectiveness Initiative: VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative webpage
Examples of successful projects in OVW’s most recent report to Congress on the effectiveness of VAWA grant programs: 2018 Biennial Report

Abusers often use or threaten to use firearms against victims of domestic violence, as well as threatening the victim’s children, friends, and relatives. Research demonstrates that when an abuser has access to a firearm, domestic violence is far more likely to be deadly; in fact, an abuser’s access to firearms is the single greatest risk factor for intimate partner homicide, with the risk increasing five-fold. Unfortunately, this risk is widespread. National data describe firearms as the overwhelming weapon of choice in intimate partner homicides. According to the FBI’s most recent Supplementary Homicide Report, more than half (55%) of intimate partner homicides were committed with a firearm in 2015. This figure has remained the same over the past decade; from 2001 to 2012, 55% of women killed by intimate partners were shot with a firearm. In addition to their lethality, firearms are used by abusers to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control over victims.

Beginning in FY 2012, the appropriation for OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses (ICJR) Program (CFDA# 16.590) has included a $4,000,000 allocation to address domestic violence homicide prevention interventions (DVHPI). In FY 2016 and FY 2018, DVHPI funds were used to support the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ (NCJFCJ) Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP), which helps communities identify challenges limiting a more robust implementation of domestic violence firearms laws in their jurisdictions and assists them in establishing a localized response that is best suited to their communities’ unique needs and characteristics. In 2019, six firearms sites were selected to receive intensive training and technical assistance under the FTAP. The FTAP focuses on ICJR purpose area 22 (domestic violence homicide reduction), and will help inform the ICJR Program on best and promising practices for jurisdictions implementing firearms relinquishment policies and practices throughout the civil and criminal justice system. DVHPI funds currently support intensive training and technical assistance through FTAP for six non-funded sites: Birmingham, AL; Columbus, OH; Muskogee Creek Nation, OK; Brooklyn, NY; the state of Vermont; and Spokane, WA (FTAP Sites). In order to deepen this work, in FY 2021, OVW will provide non-competitive funding directly to the six initial FTAP sites and offer competitive funding to support up to six additional sites to participate in the FTAP Initiative.

For additional information about the ICJR Program and related performance measures, including how awards contribute to the achievement of program goals and objectives, see:

OVW grant program information: OVW Grants and Programs webpage
Program performance measures under the Measuring Effectiveness Initiative: VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative webpage
Examples of successful projects in OVW’s most recent report to Congress on the effectiveness of VAWA grant programs: 2018 Biennial Report