Divided Wichita City Council approves funding for Violence Interrupters

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)—On Tuesday, Wichita City Council members voted 4-3 to give an additional $1.6 million to the Violence Interrupters Program , but not everyone supported it.

Those who voted against the funding included Mayor Lily Wu , Dalton Glasscock , and J.V. Johnston ,

KSN reached out to Mayor Lily Wu about why she voted against funding the program that works to prevent youth violence after she ran on a platform of ensuring public safety. She would not go on camera, but she did provide the following statement:

City Council approves funding for Violence Interrupters Program

KSN also spoke with Wichita City Councilmember Brandon Johnson, who said he was confused as to why Mayor Wu and others on the council would want to redirect ARPA money to fund storage facilities instead of trying to save lives.

Strong emotions from advocates trying to secure funding for the Violence Interrupters Program. Several spoke at Wichita's city council meeting on Tuesday.

"When you can't put your arms around your child anymore, it becomes very uncomfortable, and unfortunately, there are a lot of families, right here in the city of Wichita, who are living uncomfortable right now," said Essex Sims, with the Violence Interrupters Program.

After an hour-and-a-half discussion about approving the funding, Brandon Johnson said he's still unsure why they wanted to use the funds for CIP projects instead.

"Some of my colleagues thought it was appropriate to put an effort to save lives, especially our young lives, versus a storage facility," said Johnson.

"I believe that it's generally bad practice to use temporary money on what could be perceived as a permanent program," said Mayor Wu.

The mayor and council members Dalton Glasscock and J.V. Johnston voted against giving the funding to the program, saying that funding the group with ARPA funds is not sustainable.

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"I did not feel comfortable with giving a nonprofit a 100% increase, more than $1.5 million in funding," said Glasscock.

The vote passed four to three, meaning an additional $1.6 million will be allotted for the organization through the summer of 2026. Council members in favor believe it is the only step forward in beginning to address violence in Wichita.

"I get asked all the time, what are we doing to address youth violence in our schools, on our streets, and in our homes, and this is a program that can get into all those spaces. Quite frankly, the city can't, and WPD can not," said Wichita City Councilmember Mike Hoheisel.