Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced more than $17.8 million to fund the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative and SNUG, New York's street outreach program - both of which received national recognition for employing an evidence-based approach toward reducing gun violence. The 17 counties and 20 law enforcement agencies participating in the GIVE initiative will share $13.3 million of the funding, while the 11 SNUG sites throughout the state will share $4.5 million. This funding will allow communities to build on the work supported by GIVE and SNUG, which helped them significantly reduce gun violence and homicides in 2017.

"By investing in evidence-based practices with a proven record of success, New York is committed to combatting gun violence in every corner of this great state," Governor Cuomo said. "From enacting the strongest gun safety laws in the nation to supporting these crucial programs, this administration is doing everything in its power to combat gun crime and protect New Yorkers."

Crime data from GIVE police agencies in 2017 show the number of individuals killed by gun violence has declined since 2016 by nearly 23 percent, while shooting incidents involving injury dropped by 15 percent. Firearm activity in GIVE jurisdictions also decreased compared to the five-year average between 2012 and 2016, with 21 percent fewer individuals killed by gun violence, and 7 percent fewer shooting incidents. There were 866 shooting victims in 2017, which was fewer than any of the previous eight years.

There were 546 murders statewide in 2017, which is a 13 percent decrease compared to the previous year and the lowest number since reliable record keeping began in 1965. Preliminary data indicates that firearm homicides dropped from 368 in 2016 to 292 in 2017 - a 20 percent decrease and the fewest on record.

This downward trend has continued for GIVE jurisdictions during the first quarter of 2018. Preliminary data shows that gun violence deaths dropped 67 percent, while shooting incidents decreased by 44 percent during the first three months of this year as compared to 2017.

Gun Involved Violence Elimination

Now in its fifth year, the GIVE initiative provides state funding to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime, personnel, such as crime analysts and prosecutors, as well as coordinated training and technical assistance. Agencies participating in GIVE must design a gun violence reduction plan that employs at least two of the following evidence-based strategies:

Hot-Spots Policing Focused Deterrence Street Outreach Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

In addition, all participating agencies must integrate procedural justice into their plan. Procedural justice is designed to enhance police-community relations by ensuring interactions between law enforcement and individuals are fair, and that individuals who encounter police believe they are being treated equitably and respectfully during those encounters.

GIVE supports 20 police departments - Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Hempstead, Jamestown, Kingston, Mt. Vernon, Middletown, Nassau County, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Schenectady, Spring Valley, Suffolk County, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and Yonkers - and their partner district attorneys' offices, probation departments, and sheriffs' offices in 17 counties. These counties - Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties - historically account for more than 80 percent of the violent crime that occurs in New York State outside of New York City.

SNUG Outreach Program

Established in 2009, the SNUG Street Outreach program provides state funding and training for non-profit organizations that manage street outreach programs in 11 communities, including 10 within GIVE counties - Albany, Buffalo, Hempstead, Mt. Vernon, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Yonkers and Wyandanch - and another in the Bronx. The state's program has its own training curriculum, which was developed using best practices from other programs and integrates the use of crime analysis to guide its work.

SNUG employs outreach workers that have ties within the community who respond to shootings to prevent retaliation. These workers also help detect conflicts, and then resolve them peacefully before they lead to additional violence. The program also takes a public health approach toward the problem of street violence. Outreach workers engage individuals linked to gun violence and then work with case managers to connect them with resources, such as educational institutions and jobs.

New York's commitment to funding and supporting evidence-based practices through GIVE and SNUG - both administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services - was recognized last year by a national coalition of anti-gun violence organizations as a model that other states should follow to reduce violence and save lives. In December, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, PICO National Network, and the Community Justice Reform Coalition issued a report titled "Investing in Intervention: The Critical Role of State-Level Support in Breaking the Cycle of Urban Gun Violence," which lauded New York's balanced investment in evidence-based violence reduction strategies and renewed focus on reducing gun-related violence. The report cited this approach, along with similar strategies implemented in Massachusetts and Connecticut, for having achieved and continuing to build on "impressive gains in public safety."

New York State Sheriffs Association President Barry C. Virts said, "This funding will help deliver resources that our local law enforcement agencies need to crackdown on gun crime, continue to safeguard our communities, and help protect men, women and children across this state. Governor Cuomo's ongoing support of the GIVE and SNUG initiatives is proof positive that this administration will not back down until our neighborhoods are safe and free of gun-related crime. I commend the collaborative efforts at all levels of government and thank New York for investing in these results-driven initiatives."

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