LEONARDTOWN, Md. – During the April 30, 2024, meeting of the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners, St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling sought approval for the FY2025 Gun Violence Reduction Grant (GVRG) Application.
The grant request was for $96,777. According to the board docs, the Governor’s Office Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) allows for grantees to only request up to 30% of the total salary in fringe costs. The State’s Attorney’s Office requested $15,652 in county funding to cover the fringe costs that are not allowed to be requested through grant funds. The total requested in grant and county funds was $112,429.
According to the memo from the State’s Attorney’s Office, “Before January 2023, the State’s Attorney’s Office of St. Mary’s County, Maryland faced significant limitations in personnel and technology for analyzing evidence related to gun-related crimes. This lack of resources hindered our ability to effectively investigate and prosecute such cases, posing challenges in achieving successful outcomes and ensuring justice for victims and communities affected by gun violence. Recognizing the urgent need to address this issue, our office has undertaken concerted efforts to enhance our capacity in evidence analysis and prosecution since then. St. Mary’s County continues to experience a concerning rise in gun-related crimes. The increase in such offenses underscores the critical importance of bolstering our office’s capabilities to keep pace with evolving challenges and effectively combat gun violence in our community.”
A motion was then made by Commissioner Scott Ostrow to approve the grant, which was seconded by Commissioner Eric Colvin. The grant was unanimously approved.
To watch the full meeting, click here.
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