Governor Hochul Announces Five Counties Selected for Coordinated Community Response Pilot to Combat Domestic and Gender-Based Violence

Governor Directs Stronger, More Coordinated Response While Modernizing Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Policies Statewide

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced decisive action to strengthen public safety and protect survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, selecting Clinton, Putnam, Yates, Columbia, and Delaware counties to participate in a two-year Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Pilot.

“New Yorkers’ safety is my top priority, and I am dedicated to utilizing every available resource to support survivors of domestic and gender-based violence,” Governor Hochul said. “This pilot will save lives and reduce violence by holding offenders accountable and ensuring that survivors receive the support they rightfully deserve.”

Led by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), the CCR Pilot will strengthen the government and community response by improving coordination among law enforcement, courts, social services, advocates, and first responders. By enhancing coordination among these groups, the initiative aims to help survivors access safety and support faster while ensuring accountability for offenders.

As part of the Governor’s ongoing commitment to ensuring those affected by gender-based violence receive the best possible outcomes, OPDV will also update the State’s domestic violence model policy for counties. Developed in 1998, the policy will be revised to address all types of gender-based violence, reflect current best practices, survivor-centered approaches, and the current realities facing local law enforcement and service providers . Updating the model policy will help create greater consistency, accountability, and more effective responses across communities statewide.

The CCR pilot will give participating counties a clear framework for responding to domestic and gender-based violence. With extensive technical assistance and implementation support from OPDV, counties will adopt one of two evidence-based approaches by establishing either a:

• Coordinated Community Response Task Force — A multidisciplinary group with the authority to influence policy, improve systemic procedures, and strengthen community awareness to prevent and respond to gender-based violence; or a
• Domestic Violence High-Risk Team — A nationally recognized best practice proven to increase survivor safety, strengthen offender accountability, and reduce burdens on local systems through coordinated, proactive intervention.

The pilot complements Governor Hochul’s record $20.2 million investment in the Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Partner Violence (STRIVE) initiative, which expanded prevention and intervention efforts in 17 counties outside New York City and requires the use of evidence-based strategies to reduce intimate partner violence and improve outcomes for survivors.