Law enforcement agencies in three Southern Tier counties will share nearly $1.7 million in state grant money to combat gun violence in their communities.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced July 23 the funds from the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative will be divided among agencies in Broome, Chemung and Tompkins counties.
Funding covers equipment, overtime and personnel costs, and agencies receive comprehensive, focused training and technical assistance.
“My top priority is public safety, and since taking office, my administration has been laser-focused on working with local law enforcement to drive down gun violence across New York communities,” Hochul said in a news release. “New York’s GIVE initiative is a crucial part of our comprehensive plan to reduce shootings and firearm-related violent crime — and it’s working.”
Here’s how the Southern Tier grant money will be shared:
Between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2025, GIVE police departments statewide reported 242 shooting incidents with injury, down from 281 during the same period in 2024, according to the Governor’s Office. The number of people shot declined from 354 to 275, and there were nine fewer gun violence-related deaths.
Collectively, communities participating in GIVE also saw reductions in all seven index crime categories — murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft — during the first quarter of 2025 when compared to the same period last year, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.
The state uses several metrics, including a five-year average of shooting incidents, shooting victims, individuals killed by firearms, violent crime, and violent crime by firearm, to determine each county’s award.
GIVE requires all partners within a county to collaborate and develop a comprehensive plan to address shootings or violent crime and determine how to distribute funding among agencies.
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This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: ‘Top priority’: Hochul awards gun violence grants for Broome, Chemung, Tompkins counties
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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