STAFF REPORT
City of Lancaster
CC 17
5/26/26
TN
Date: May 26, 2026
To: Mayor Parris and City Council Members
From: Rodrick Armalin, Chief of Police - Lancaster Police Department Subject: Approve Memorandum of Agreement to Venice 2000 for Violence Intervention and Prevention Services
Recommendations:
1. Approve a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Venice 2000 dba HELPER Foundation, Inc. for community violence intervention and prevention services in accordance with the California Board of State and Community Corrections - CalVIP Chort 5 grant, for a period of three (3) years, not to exceed $1,050,000.
2. Authorize City Manager, or his designee, to execute the MOA, including all necessary documents, agreements, amendments, and provisions, subject to City Attorney approval.
G.C. Section 84308: No
Fiscal Impact:
No impact to the General Fund. Funds available in Lancaster Police Department expenditure account 23030000.5656.
Background:
In 2017, the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) established the California Community Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) grant program as an evidence-based violence reduction initiative. Over the past eight years, BSCC has awarded 4 cohorts.
As of July 2024, the program has benefited from an excise tax on the retail sales of firearms and ammunition, established by AB 28 (Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act). The first $75 million collected annually from this tax will be continuously appropriated to the BSCC for 2 3
7 6
CalVIP, ensuring a dedicated and potentially substantial funding source for violence intervention initiatives.
In 2025, Cohort 5 opened to receive proposals. The City of Lancaster, through the Lancaster Police Department, developed a comprehensive grant application. The proposed project titled “The ECO System“ included funding to expand existing intervention programs for youth and targeted adults who may be vulnerable to gang and gun violence.
On February 12, 2026, the BSCC Board approved the Lancaster Police Department grant application and awarded funding in the amount of $2,031,333. Council accepted this award and appropriated the funds to revenue account LPDCALVIP.STATEOTHER.23030000.4998 on March 24, 2026 and April 28, 2026.
The Lancaster Police Department, through this MOA is partnering with HELPER Foundation to expand existing programs that have proven to provide an integrated approach to safe passage, outreach, credible messengers, case management, and focused deterrence. The proposed Community Violence Intervention (CVI) strategy will directly address the root causes and immediate threats of violence. Through this partnership, Lancaster can enhance the ecosystem that reduces violence today while laying the foundation for long-term resilience and opportunity.
The Amer-I-Can curriculum, a three-pronged teaching methodology including Dual Sensory Perception, Control Group Discussion, and Spaced Repetition, is the curriculum of choice that Helper has implemented in the schools and the community since its inception. The Helper Foundation is the only violence intervention service that has an active program with demonstrated success being used in Lancaster schools. Administrators and top leadership from the districts have found the program satisfactory. The Helper Foundation is the only violence intervention service provider in the Antelope Valley with an existing MOU to operate programs on campus at schools in the Antelope Valley Unified High School District, Lancaster School District, and the Eastside Union School District. They have operated in AVUHSD for 11 years. The Helper Foundation is the only violence intervention service that has the capability to provide a full-service violence intervention program in the Antelope Valley. They are the only one that can provide safe passage, outreach, credible messengers, and case management in one program through one system.
This report focuses on approving the MOA between the City of Lancaster and the HELPER Foundation in the amount of $1,050,000.00, funded by the CalVIP grant through the executed grant agreement between the California Board of State and Community Corrections and the City of Lancaster for community violence intervention services.
RA/cm
Attachment:
MOA between City of Lancaster and Venice 2000 dba HELPER Foundation BSCC CalVIP Grant Agreement