During his tenure as Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Jim Beall requested that the Public Health Department develop a Countywide plan to prevent violence. With the full support of the Board of Supervisors, the Violence Prevention Council was convened in May 1997. In June 1997, the Board of Supervisors also funded the Violence Prevention Program in the Public Health Department. As one of its primary functions, the Violence Prevention Program provided staffing and support for the efforts of the Violence Prevention Council. The Violence Prevention Action Plan was first presented to the Board of Supervisors on October 27, 1998. In 1999, the Board approved the Violence Prevention Action Plan.