In 2025, CCJRC’s Get Real Denver campaign secured $6 million from the City of Denver for a 2-year pilot of the Community-Led Youth Safety Grant Program
This established a dedicated investment in community-based safety solutions focused on youth to reduce crime, especially violent crime.
THE CASE FOR INVESTMENT
The campaign began with data.
CCJRC commissioned the Denver Public Safety Poll, which found that voters across political lines overwhelmingly favor investing in prevention, intervention, victim support, and recidivism reduction over expanding policing or increasing criminal penalties.
The message was clear: Denver residents want a holistic safety strategy that prevents harm before it happens.
THE PROPOSAL
As city leaders faced a $200 million budget shortfall, CCJRC advanced a focused, achievable solution: invest $5 million in the 2026 Denver budget to establish a Community-Led Youth Safety Grant Program.
The proposed program would:
Fund trusted community organizations providing youth engagement, violence interruption, mentorship, and family support
Use an independent intermediary to manage grants, build capacity, and ensure accountability
Include strong evaluation and measurable outcomes
Nearly 50 community organizations joined the coalition to advocate for this investment.
CITY COUNCIL TOOK ACTION
City Council members Jamie Torres, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Sarah Parady, and Shontel Lewis introduced the proposal with funding from an unused $10 million donation from The Denver Broncos.
On November 3, 2025, the Denver City Council voted unanimously, 13–0, to approve a two-year $6 million pilot of the Community-Led Youth Safety Grant Program.
WHY IT MATTERS
Most crime never comes to the attention of law enforcement, yet 37% of Denver’s budget goes to pay for police, courts, and jail.
The campaign demonstrated that:
Denver voters overwhelmingly support greater public investment in community-led crime prevention and early intervention services, particularly for youth – and elected officials listened.
Any public safety goal must include and fund community-led strategies and direct services that can produce real outcomes.
Organized community advocacy can shift budget priorities and attitudes about the essential role community plays in public safety.
