From a press release: Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday continued progress in bringing down gun violence and awarded nearly $36 million to local law enforcement agencies to further reduce violent crime.
Shooting incidents with injury declined 28 percent during the first five months of 2024 when compared to the same period last year, as reported by police departments participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority,” Governor Hochul said. “We’ve brought gun violence down to historic lows – and we’re giving local law enforcement agencies more of the resources needed to keep tackling crime throughout every corner of our state.”
The 28 percent decline reflects 218 shooting incidents with injury from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2024, compared to 303 incidents from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2023. Data for each of the 28 police departments participating in the GIVE initiative is available online. That data also shows the number of individuals shot in those incidents and the number of individuals killed by gun violence for the same period.
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This marks the second consecutive year in which Governor Hochul has secured record-level funding for the GIVE initiative, which supports 28 police departments in 21 counties with the majority of the state’s population outside of New York City. The initiative uses evidence-based strategies to reduce shootings, save lives and combat violent crime. Information on the nearly $36 million awarded today to local law enforcement agencies is available online.
In addition to the decreases in gun violence experienced in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported declines in gun violence through June 9, 2024. When comparing the same timeframe in 2023, there were 41 fewer shooting victims and 39 fewer shooting incidents. New York State Police also seized 973 guns through May 2024, and the agency is likely on pace to exceed last year’s total of 1,463. The number of guns seized during the first five months of this year is more than those seized annually in 2018 (551), 2019 (528), and 2020 (517).
The GIVE grant cycle runs from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and state funding supports personnel, overtime, equipment, and technology. The state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) provides funding, technical assistance, and training through GIVE. This is the second year in which the initiative has supported 28 police departments, and district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in 21 counties: Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Dutchess, Erie, Jefferson, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Tompkins Ulster, and Westchester. GIVE funding totals $36,199,999, with DCJS awarding $35,937,910 in grants; the remaining is available to fund emerging issues identified by participating agencies.
The FY 2025 Enacted Budget includes $347 million secured by Governor Hochul to fund a comprehensive plan that addresses gun violence, reduces crime and recognizes the importance of a multifaceted approach improving public safety. The FY 2025 Enacted Budget also includes $290 million to improve the effectiveness of the continuum of the criminal justice system, including nearly $160 million for law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations:
- $80 million to offset costs of discovery reform implementation and pretrial procedure changes in all 62 counties. Those reforms first took effect Jan. 1, 2020.
- $59,459,000 in Aid to Prosecution funding for the 62 district attorneys’ offices in the state. The Governor more than quadrupled this funding in FY23 – from $12,549,000 to $52,549,000 – and further increased it in FY25. This funding provides critical support for additional prosecutors and administrative staff, as well as the training, technology, and equipment needed to advance evidence-based prosecutions which help ensure public safety.
- $20 million in pretrial services in the 57 counties outside of New York City. This funding supports an array of services, including screening and assessments, supervision, and dedicated information-sharing. Probation departments and community-based providers receive this critical funding to enhance services that improve public safety and return more people to court.
DCJS administers aid to prosecution, discovery, and pretrial funding and distributes it based on a five-year average of lower court arraignment numbers in each county. Counties will receive official notification of those awards no later than Aug. 1, 2024.
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