Governor Hochul Announces $30 Million to Support New York City’s Fight Against Gun Violence

 

Includes $6 Million for the New York City Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Blueprint for Community Safety

Also Includes $24 Million to Expand New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program to a Year-Round Program

Funding Builds on the Governor’s $337 Million Investment in the FY24 Budget to Prevent and Reduce Gun Violence

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $30 million to support New York City’s fight against gun violence. This funding includes $6 million for the New York City Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Blueprint for Community Safety, which will help the City hire additional public safety personnel and deploy more resources to support the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. The Governor also announced $24 million from the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget to support New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which will help it expand to a year-round program. The Governor made the announcement today with New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

“Public safety is my top priority and I’ll never stop fighting to keep the people of this state safe,” Governor Hochul said. “The investments in New York City that we’re announcing today are part of a comprehensive approach we’re taking to end the scourge of gun violence. While we’ve made significant progress, there’s more work to do and I’m proud to stand alongside Mayor Adams to fight for safer streets and communities.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Public safety is not only a prerequisite, but the pathway to prosperity. It is what we have campaigned, and what we have delivered. Overall, crime is down across the city year to date, and our numbers continue to trend in the right direction. The work of public safety is never done and even a single loss of life to gun violence is a tragedy. Today, we are taking our efforts to end gun violence to the next level with this new ‘Blueprint for Community Safety’ – a $485 million dollar plan that will double down on our public safety efforts, invest in our most impacted communities, support our young people and get them on the right path, and activate every level of city government to prioritize prevention-based approaches to public safety. This plan would not have been possible without our co-chairs, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Man Up! Founder A.T. Mitchell, as well as the more than 1,500 New Yorkers whose ideas and input shaped these recommendations. The work we do together will save lives and create a stronger, safer, more livable city for all.”

The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was formed in June 2022 and is co-chaired by First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Man Up! Inc. Founder A.T. Mitchell. The task force represents a multi-agency, cross-sector effort to address the root causes of gun violence, and develop recommendations to promote long-term safety across all communities. As part of this effort, more than 50 members of the task force, representing 20 city agencies, engaged roughly 1,500 community residents over the course of spring 2023 through community convenings and youth town halls.

The new Blueprint for Community Safety announced today targets six precincts with the highest shootings incidents. Policy makers have worked with City Agencies and engaged key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive list of community violence interventions that are evidence-based and address persistent challenges as expressed by stakeholders and neighborhood-level indicators. Community Violence Intervention Strategies are based on early intervention, employment and entrepreneurship, and trauma informed care. Governor Hochul has deployed top advisors to support the team, as well as the $6 million in funding announced today.

The Governor’s FY24 Budget funding for the blueprint also includes:

• $3.5 million for the Crises Management System
• $1 million for six advisors for the First Deputy Mayor and the New York City Department of Youth
• $1 million for victim services
• $500,000 for database needs for incarcerated individuals
• $200,000 for a workforce landscape analysis

The Governor also announced $24 million from the FY24 Budget for New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which is the nation’s largest youth employment program. It connects New York City youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experiences each summer. This funding will help SYEP expand from a seasonal to year-round program in the six target precincts.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "We must all work together to address the senseless gun violence that is claiming too lives every day. Today, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul unveiled a new plan with targeted and community-driven investments in New York City that will address the root of this problem. This plan is a model for the state and builds on the work that we have been doing to take down organized gun trafficking rings, go after gun companies that endanger our communities, and defend commonsense gun laws. All our communities deserve to feel safe, and together with the Governor and Mayor, we will continue to fight every day to make that a reality.”

This announcement builds on the Governor’s continued efforts to reduce gun violence in New York and keep communities safe. Governor Hochul secured $337 million – an increase of $110 million – in the FY24 Budget to support her comprehensive, multifaceted plan to target gun violence and violent crime, improve public safety, and strengthen communities. That plan includes, but is not limited to, the following funding, which also is administered by the Division of Criminal Justice Services:

• $36 million for GIVE. This record-level funding has allowed the state to expand the nationally recognized initiative to eight new police departments and four additional counties. As of July 1, 2023, GIVE funding now supports 28 police departments, and district attorneys' offices, probation departments, and sheriffs' offices in 21 counties outside of New York City hardest hit by gun violence and violent crime.
• $25 million for the state’s SNUG Street Outreach program, which operates in 14 communities and uses a public health approach to address gun violence: identify the source, interrupt its transmission, and treat those affected by ongoing exposure to violence.
• $16 million to support and expand the state's Crime Analysis Center Network. A new center is being established in New York City, bringing to 11 the number of centers in the network, which is supported by the state in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. The centers in Erie, Monroe, Onondaga and Albany counties were the first to be established; others are located in Broome, Franklin, Niagara, Oneida, Orange, and Suffolk counties. In 2022, staff at the centers responded to more than 66,000 requests for assistance from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, helping agencies solve murders, robberies, burglaries, gun crimes, and other serious cases.