The federal government has announced $1.8 million for the City of St. John’s to help prevent gun and gang violence.

The money, which comes from the Building Safer Communities Fund, will go towards initiatives that address the underlying conditions that lead to crime, as well as community-led projects to prevent violence among young people who are involved in gangs, or are at risk of joining them.

St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen notes that there was recently a roundtable at city hall where stakeholders were asked to identify the areas where they think more work can be done.

Breen says they’re planning to use the funding to address those needs—mainly in the areas of coordination of services in the city, and the research needed to help them address the issues.

He says they will be looking at the determinants of violence. He says it is not about looking at specific areas, it’s about how they can impact people’s lives and build a safer community.