2026 Office of Safer Communities Conference

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is excited to announce the second annual Office of Safer Communities Conference at the Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Spotsylvania, Virginia on December 2--4, 2026. This event will provide attendees with actionable information and an opportunity to network with a variety of organizations engaged in gun violence intervention and prevention efforts throughout Virginia. This year, attendees will: Hear from the City of Baltimore about a proven gun violence reduction strategy created in partnership with the Baltimore Police Department and prosecutors, Discover how Roca, a community-based organization, engages youth, law enforcement, and community systems to disrupt violent crime; Explore Omaha 360, a nationally recognized collaborative dedicated to reducing community violence through uniting law enforcement, schools, non-profit organizations, faith leaders, businesses, and residents; Hear about Cities United and how they support localities in developing and implementing a public safety strategy by leveraging elected and appointed officials, community-based leaders, and youth; Gather information from the Safer Communities Program localities on how they developed a coordination plan, networked with community partners, such as the locality, community-based organizations, and law enforcement, and navigated challenges; Unpack the intersection of interpersonal violence and firearm violence with Dr. Jennifer Paruk from the University of Michigan's Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention; and Learn about the important work happening in Virginia's Family Justice Centers. Additionally, DCJS and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia will provide updates. The Office of Safer Communities (OSC) highly recommends all OSC grantees attend the event. This will serve as the final Quarterly Convening for 2026.