For Immediate Release: 07/14/2022
State of New York | Executive Chamber
Kathy Hochul | Governor
GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES $13.6 MILLION TO FIGHT GUN VIOLENCE, AID VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS, AND BOLSTER STATE RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
$9.1 Million Secured in State Budget Extends Last Year's Emergency Increase to Support Nearly 150 Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Staff
$2 Million in Community Violence Intervention Act Funding Awarded to Queens Nonprofit to Address Needs of Victims and Families Affected by Gun Violence
$2.5 Million for the Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the State Department of Health to Fund Data Analysis, Interagency Coordination, and Public Awareness
State's Exhaustive Efforts to Combat Gun Violence Contributing to Substantial Drop in Year-over-Year Shooting Incidents, Data Available Here
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $13.6 million to fight gun violence, aid victims and survivors and their families and communities, and bolster the state's response to the ongoing public health crisis in communities that have experienced significant increases in shootings and firearm-involved crimes since early 2020. A total of $9.1 million will allow the state to continue supporting more than 30 nonprofit organizations and hospitals, so they can deploy gun violence intervention staff through 2023; $2 million will address the needs of victims, families and communities affected by violence in Queens; and $2.5 million will fund the state's Office of Gun Violence Prevention's public awareness and data analysis work.
"This critical funding will boost the efforts of street outreach workers and social workers as they expand proven programs that interrupt and drive down gun violence and provide services and support to victims, families, loved ones and neighborhoods still healing from the trauma inflicted by shootings," Governor Hochul said. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: Enough. We are going to pull together and devote everything we've got to put an end to this public health crisis so our communities can be safe for all New Yorkers."
"Governor Hochul and I understand that we need to do more than just keep the guns off the streets, we also must address intervention and public awareness, and get families the help they need to confront this ongoing public health crisis affecting communities all across our state," said Lieutenant Governor Delgado. "As New York leads the nation in our fight against gun violence, we also must lead the nation in supporting the victims and survivors of gun violence."
Governor Hochul announced the funding during a visit to CAMBA (Brownsville In, Violence Out) in Brooklyn. The $9.1 million administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) will allow not-for-profit organizations and hospitals to continue recruiting and retaining outreach workers, violence interrupters and social workers who will work to reduce gun violence through mediation, mentoring and community engagement, and address the trauma experienced by victims of violence and their families. This funding is a key component of the Governor's three-part agenda to prevent and reduce gun violence throughout New York by tripling the investment in community-based responses; investing in law enforcement capabilities to solve gun crimes; and creating the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns.
Formed by Governor Hochul in January, the Interstate and Intrastate Task Force on Illegal Guns has forged enhanced partnerships between law enforcement agencies. This improved collaboration has contributed to a substantial increase in gun seizures and a discernible reduction in shootings. Over the first six months of 2022, New York City shootings are down 12 percent when compared with the same period last year. For the same period of time, shootings are down nearly 20 percent in Brooklyn, where Governor Hochul made Thursday's announcement.
These enhanced efforts are also contributing to progress outside of New York City. The state, through DCJS, runs the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, which provides state funding to local law enforcement agencies for personnel, equipment, training, and technical assistance. GIVE supports 20 departments in 17 counties accounting for 80 percent of gun violence in New York State outside of New York City. Between January and June, shooting incidents are down eight percent across the 20 GIVE jurisdictions, and shooting victims are down nine percent. For a more comprehensive look the data, click here.
Gun seizures have also increased significantly. Over the first six months of 2022, State Police have seized 694 guns— more than twice as many compared with the same period last year. In its continuing effort to eradicate gun violence, the NYPD has seized more than 3,700 firearms year-to-date in 2022 — at a time when gun arrests are at a 27-year high.
Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, "Since last fall, when Governor Hochul announced emergency funding to reduce gun violence, our street outreach and gun violence interruption teams across the state have helped produce real results in driving down gun violence. Yet, more needs to be done. Governor Hochul's continued commitment to funding gun violence prevention initiatives will enable us to expand, enhance, and better support these efforts - as our partners across the state continue their extraordinary, brave and critical work on the ground - to help ensure that all New Yorkers can live in peace and safety."
The $2 million administered by the state Office of Victim Services (OVS) to Community Capacity Development in Queens brings the state's total funding through the Community Violence Intervention Act (CVIA) to $8.3 million for two years. The CVIA annually designates a portion of the state's federal Victims of Crime Act funding for programs serving communities hardest hit by gun violence. Community Capacity Development will use the funding for crisis response, case managers, outreach workers, and social workers; legal services, interpreters and mental health counseling; and an emergency fund to meet the immediate needs of victims, among other services. This spring, Governor Hochul announced the first round of CVIA funding: $6.36 million for two years to seven nonprofit organizations.
Office of Victim Services Director Elizabeth Cronin said, "We know that gun violence produces ripple effects that spread well beyond the individuals who are targeted, causing families, friends and entire neighborhoods to suffer from loss, devastation and trauma, just as we saw in East Buffalo. At Office of Victim Services, we are dedicated to doing everything in our power to deliver services, resources and assistance to victims and survivors of gun violence. We are proud to support nonprofits through the Community Violence Intervention Act funding and we thank Governor Hochul for her continued leadership on this critical issue."
These investments further advance the state's public health approach to addressing gun violence: identifying its source, interrupting the transmission and treating it by engaging communities and connecting individuals to services and support. In addition, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the state Department of Health will receive $2.5 million to coordinate interagency gun violence reduction efforts, analyze data and support public awareness work.
State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, "Gun violence is a public health issue and helping to mitigate gun violence, its associated health effects, and suffering begins with investing in communities. As part of Governor Hochul's pledge to reduce incidents of gun violence throughout New York State, this funding will further strengthen trusted community organizations that have long worked to end these senseless tragedies."
Senator Chuck Schumer said, "Confronting the epidemic of gun violence requires using and funding every tool in the box, including community violence intervention groups, which use data-proven methods to reduce violence and save lives. I am proud we secured a historic $250 million increase for CVI programs in the recently passed bipartisan gun safety law, and I will not stop fighting to deliver every penny of federal support for these programs to continue their tremendous work to keep our communities safe."
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, "As communities across our state and nation continue to face a scourge of gun violence, this funding will provide much-needed support to victims and survivors of gun violence and help stop crime at its source. I'll keep doing everything I can to fight gun violence and save lives."
Representative Jerrold Nadler said, "Gun violence has affected far too many communities across the country, including communities in New York. We have a moral obligation to solve this rampant epidemic, and this funding will be an important step toward addressing the adverse results of gun violence. I have been fighting every day in Congress by introducing bills like my 'Protecting Our Kids Act' and voting in favor of the 'Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.' I applaud Governor Hochul for leading the way in New York State, and I look forward to continuing to work in tandem with her to address the gun violence epidemic."
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "Nothing is more important than keeping our communities safe from the scourge of gun violence. It has been a core priority of the Senate Democratic Conference to support evidence-based programming at the community level as part of a holistic approach to treat gun violence as a public health emergency affecting our state and the nation. I'm pleased that the Governor, in partnership with the legislature, continues to focus on securing this critical funding to bolster the reach of gun violence prevention efforts and strengthen support services to help victims and survivors heal."
The $9.1 million has been awarded to the following programs:
New York City and Long Island
- Brownsville Think Tank Matters (Brooklyn): one position, $75,000
- CAMBA (Brownsville In, Violence Out - Brooklyn): three positions, $120,000
- CCI (RISE/Brooklyn, Save Our Streets/ Bronx, and Neighborhood Safety Initiatives/Harlem): six positions, $420,000
- The Central Family Life Center (Staten Island): three positions, $136,800
- East Flatbush Village (Brooklyn): two positions, $120,000
- Elite Learners (Brownsville, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brookdale Hospital, Kings County Hospital): 11 positions, $660,000
- Garden of Gethsemane Ministries (Harlem): two positions, $50,000
- Gateway Community Empowerment (Brooklyn): one position, $36,000
- Jewish Community Center of Greater Coney Island: three positions, $175,695
- LIFECamp (Community-based Program/Queens and Jamaica Hospital): six positions, $240,000
- Northwell Hospital (South Shore University Hospital, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Staten Island University Hospital): five positions, $557,500
- Guns Down, Life Up (NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln): three positions, $191,382
- Kings Against Violence Initiative (Kings County Hospital): three positions, $180,000
- Southside United (Brooklyn): two positions, $92,000
- Street Corner Resources (Community-based Program/Harlem and Harlem Hospital): six positions, $300,000
- Urban Youth Alliance International (Bronx): three positions, $156,975
Statewide DCJS SNUG Community- and Hospital-Based Programs
- Albany: Trinity Alliance, eight positions, $459,937; and Albany Medical Center, three positions, $247,573
- Bronx: Jacobi Medical Center, 10 positions, $914,000
- Buffalo: Erie County Medical Center, 12 positions, $855,000
- Hempstead: Family and Children's Association, one position: $48,260
- Mt. Vernon: Family Services of Westchester, three positions, $146,416
- Newburgh: RECAP, three positions, $160,200
- Poughkeepsie: Family Services, three positions, $160,200
- Rochester: PathStone, seven positions, $427,800; and Center for Dispute Resolution, three positions, $100,000
- Syracuse: Syracuse Community Connections, seven positions, $422,420; and SUNY Upstate Medical Center, three positions, $282,980
- Troy: Trinity Alliance, one position, $42,748
- Yonkers: YMCA of Yonkers, two positions, $101,600
- Wyandanch: Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, one position, $44,570
The 12 DCJS-supported SNUG Street Outreach programs also will receive approximately $900,000 to support salary increases and additional program needs. DCJS is using $254,000 to provide technical assistance and administrative support to its network of SNUG programs.
The FY 2023 Budget enacted by the Governor and State Legislature contained $227 million to fund initiatives to strengthen gun violence prevention efforts of both law enforcement and community-based organizations. Leveraging this funding DCJS is administering:
- $20.9 million for SNUG and community-based gun violence initiatives to support additional SNUG programs; increase programming to help meet the basic needs of vulnerable young people; provide skills-based job-readiness and work-placement training; and launch a program to recruit and retain outreach workers; and approximately $4 million in federal funding through the Office of Victim Services (OVS) to embed social work services within SNUG programs;
- $18.2 million for law enforcement agencies that participate in New York State's Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative, the largest State investment in the program, to deploy evidence-based strategies to reduce shootings and save lives in the 20 communities in 17 counties hardest hit by gun violence; and
- $15 million for New York's ten Crime Analysis Centers, which collect and share criminal intelligence - including crime gun data - among more than 350 state and local law enforcement agencies, serving as a critical resource to deter, investigate, and solve crimes, including firearm-involved violent crimes.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services is a multi-function criminal justice support agency and has a variety of responsibilities, including law enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data; maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative oversight of the state's DNA databank, in partnership with the New York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds; support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration of the state's Sex Offender Registry. Follow the agency on Twitter and Facebook.
The Office of Victim Services supports more than 200 victim assistance programs that provide direct services, such as crisis counseling, advocacy, emergency shelter, civil legal assistance and relocation assistance, to victims and their families. The agency also provides financial assistance and reimbursement to eligible crime victims for medical and counseling expenses, funeral and burial expenses, lost wages and support, in addition to other assistance. Follow the agency on Twitter and Facebook.
Additional news available at www.governor.ny.gov
New York State | Executive Chamber | press.office@exec.ny.gov | 518.474.8418