Governor Kathy Hochul on Aug 20th, announced that shooting incidents with injury declined 29 percent through July 2024 compared to the same seven-month period last year, as reported by police departments participating in New York State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative. This overall decline is the result of significant, sustained reductions in gun violence across communities served by the 28 police departments participating in GIVE.

“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority,” Governor Hochul said. “Our comprehensive efforts to bring down gun violence are working – and I’ll never stop fighting to ensure safe communities all across our state.”

This 29 percent decline reflects 351 shooting incidents with injury from January 1 through July 31, 2024, compared to 497 incidents from January 1 through July 31, 2023.

New York State’s GIVE initiative supports 28 police departments in 21 counties with the majority of the state’s population outside New York City.

The following police departments reported particularly significant declines in shootings through July 2024 compared to the same seven-month period last year:

• Yonkers: 57 percent decline
• Nassau County: 56 percent decline
• Suffolk County: 50 percent decline
• Rochester: 35 percent decline
• Syracuse: 32 percent decline

There was also a 21 percent decline in the number of individuals killed by gun violence in GIVE communities during that same time period. (70 individuals from Jan. 1 through July 31, 2024, compared to 89 from Jan. 1 through July 31, 2023.)

July 2024 data for each of the 28 police departments participating in the GIVE initiative are available on the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) website.

In addition to the decreases in gun violence experienced in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported an 11 percent decline in shootings (530 versus 595) in New York City through July 2024 compared to the same time last year.

The FY25 Enacted Budget included $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 Governor’s investments include nationally recognized initiatives administered by DCJS, which provides funding, training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations in communities hardest hit by gun violence and violent crime:

• Nearly $36 million for the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative. Through GIVE, DCJS helps 28 police departments in 21 counties implement evidence-based strategies that have proven to be successful at reducing gun violence, including Problem-Oriented Policing, Hot-Spots Policing, Focused Deterrence/Group Violence Intervention, Street Outreach, and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. These strategies focus on the few people and places that are responsible for most of the violence and engage the broader community to build trust. GIVE also funds district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in those counties.
  
  
• $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach program, which uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by violence. Community-based organizations and hospitals operate the program in 14 communities and employ nearly 200 outreach workers, social workers and case managers. Outreach workers are credible messengers who have lost loved ones to violence or have prior justice system involvement. They respond to shootings to prevent retaliation, detect conflicts and resolve them peacefully before they lead to additional violence. Social workers and case managers work with individuals affected by community violence, including friends and family. DCJS also supports New York City’s violence interruption efforts, providing $5 million for its Crisis Management System (CMS) so it can bring those programs to scale.
  
  
• $18 million for the state’s unique network of Crime Analysis Centers, which analyze, compile and distribute information, intelligence and data to local law enforcement agencies statewide. No other state has anything similar and the centers – operated in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in 10 counties and New York City – are hubs of state and local efforts to deter, investigate, and solve crimes. Last year alone, staff handled more than 90,000 requests for assistance, helping agencies solve everything from retail theft to murders.
  
  
• Up to $20 million for Project RISE, a unique funding model that convenes community stakeholders to respond to gun violence, invest in solutions, sustain positive programming and empower communities. In its first year, the initiative supported 99 organizations, including 74 small, grassroots programs, many of which had never received state support for their work. Programs and services funded by RISE include academic support, employment services, mentoring and delinquency/violence prevention.