Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that gun violence in communities participating in New York State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative has dropped to its lowest level on record. In 2024, shooting incidents with injury decreased by 28%, with 238 fewer individuals harmed by gunfire. The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget allocates $370 million to continue state efforts to reduce shootings, support law enforcement, and strengthen communities. The funding will support local law enforcement, youth programs, and nonprofit organizations, aiming to build safer, stronger communities across the state.
“New Yorkers are safer today than they were yesterday – and that’s because of the tireless efforts of our communities, law enforcement, and partners,” Governor Hochul said. “Gun violence has dropped by 28 percent, meaning 238 fewer people wounded by gunfire in our neighborhoods. But we’re not stopping here. My administration is doubling down on its commitment to reducing violence, supporting our youth, and strengthening our communities – ensuring that all New Yorkers can live in safety and peace.”
The 28 percent decline reflects 588 shooting incidents with injury reported last year by the 28 police departments participating in GIVE compared to 817 in 2023, and the number of shooting victims decreased by 25 percent (725 v. 963). When the state first began tracking this data in 2006, 17 police departments received funding to reduce shootings and violent crime: Those agencies reported 896 shooting incidents with injury and 1,007 individuals who sustained gunshot wounds. GIVE jurisdictions account for roughly 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms and 85 percent of violent crime reported outside New York City.
The following police departments reported particularly significant declines in shooting incidents with injury in 2024 compared to 2023: Niagara, 52 percent; Rochester, 34 percent; Syracuse, 30 percent; and Yonkers, 47 percent. Shooting incidents with injury, shooting victims and shooting homicide data for each of the 28 GIVE agencies are available on the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) website. In addition to the collective decrease in gun violence in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported a seven percent (903 v. 974) decrease in shooting incidents in 2024 compared to 2023.
DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Our partnerships with local law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations through the GIVE initiative, SNUG street outreach program, Project RISE and our Crime Analysis Centers are helping to make a real difference in people’s lives and increasing safety in our communities. We applaud Governor Hochul’s leadership on public safety and her unprecedented support of these critical programs.”
Preliminary index crime reported by police agencies outside of New York City showed an eight percent decrease from January through September 2024 vs. 2023, the most current data available. There are seven index crime categories that are used to gauge overall crime trends: four violent (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and three property (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft). Data reported by the NYPD show a three percent reduction in crime in the five boroughs.
The $370 million investment to reduce and prevent gun violence and strengthen communities disproportionately impacted by crime includes, but is not limited to, the following programs and initiatives administered by DCJS:
- $50 million through the Law Enforcement Technology grant program, which provides funding so police departments and sheriffs’ offices can purchase new equipment and technology to modernize their operations and more effectively solve and prevent crime.
- $36 million for GIVE, which funds the 28 police departments and district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in 21 counties outside of New York City.
- $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach Program, which operates in 14 communities across the state: Albany, the Bronx, Buffalo, Hempstead, Mount Vernon, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Wyandanch, and Yonkers. The program uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by the violence.
- $18 million in continued support for the state’s unique, nationally recognized Crime Analysis Center Network, and $13 million in new funding to establish the New York State Crime Analysis and Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters, a strategic information, technical assistance and training hub for 11 Centers in the state’s network, and enhance existing partnerships and expand information sharing with the New York State Intelligence Center operated by the State Police, the locally run Nassau County Lead Development Center, and the State’s Joint Security Operations Center, which focuses on protecting the State from cyber threats.
- $20 million for Project RISE (Respond, Invest, Sustain, Empower) in 10 communities to support mentoring, mental health services, restorative practices, trust building, employment and education support and youth development activities, among other programs and services that address trauma resulting from long-term exposure to violence, build resilience and strengthen youth, families and neighborhoods.
The New York State Police, the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, and the state Office of Victim Services also will receive funding through that $370 million allocation.
That funding does not include other public safety initiatives outlined in the FY26 Executive Budget Briefing Book, including $35 million for the next round of the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grants to increase safety and security of organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission; or investments that expand support for victims and survivors of crime, including doubling funding for rape crisis centers to $12.8 million.
January 29, 2025
Albany, NY
Sources: NY.gov , Midtown Tribune
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