Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative
The Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative is a key component in New York’s strategy to reduce gun violence and save lives in communities with high rates of firearm-related violence.
The initiative targets 17 counties outside of New York City reporting high rates of shootings and violent crime outside of the five boroughs and provides state funding to 20 police departments, district attorneys’ offices, probation departments and sheriffs’ offices in Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties. Those agencies use the funding for equipment, overtime, training, technical support and personnel, including crime analysts and prosecutors.
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 and crime prevention through environmental design. Participating agencies must also integrate procedural justice into their plan in an effort to foster trust and respect among individuals and communities with the law enforcement professionals who serve and protect them.
- 2019 Annual Report
- Reported Crime and Firearm Activity Data reported by GIVE jurisdictions
- New York State Index Crime Data by County and Agency
SNUG Street Outreach Program
The SNUG Street Outreach program uses a public health model to address gun violence by identifying the source of the violence, interrupting the transmission and offering services and support to those who wish to change their behavior. The Division of Criminal Justice Services administers funding to nonprofit organizations that operate the program in 12 communities: Albany, the Bronx, Buffalo, Hempstead, Mt. Vernon, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Wyandanch and Yonkers.
The program employs individuals seen as credible messengers: those with ties to the communities in which they work and previous involvement with the criminal justice system. These outreach workers detect, interrupt and intervene in high-risk disputes to prevent retaliation through mediation, mentoring and access to resources and services, including education assistance, drug and alcohol counseling, and job readiness training.
A unique partnership between the Division of Criminal Justice Services and state Office of Victim Services also aims to address the trauma individuals face due to long-term exposure to gun violence and provides help and support to improve lives and strengthen neighborhoods impacted by crime. Social workers and case managers work at SNUG sites to provide mental health counseling and other services to individuals and families. Social workers also are embedded at trauma centers serving SNUG sites to reach victims and families in the immediate aftermath of violence and connect them with services and support from SNUG site-based social workers and case managers after discharge.
Crime Analysis Center Network
DCJS partners with local law enforcement agencies across the state to support a network of Crime Analysis Centers (CAC) that provide investigative support and information to help police and prosecutors more effectively solve, reduce and prevent crime. The centers, located in Albany, Broome, Franklin, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Niagara and Suffolk counties, provide critical support to law enforcement agencies in 31 of the state’s 62 counties. Centers also assist any law enforcement agency in the state upon request.
The Centers enhance the work of crime analysts embedded at individual agencies by coordinating and expanding those services, which include but are not limited to hot-spots analysis, crime pattern identification and analysis, and real-time investigative support. National and international organizations have recognized the centers and staff for the innovative use of technology and quality of work.
Crime Analyst Certification
DCJS offers a Certification Exam Level 1 for crime analysts working in New York State. The certification is approved by the New York State Municipal Police Training Council, which sets standards for police and peace officer training, and managed by the agency.
- Check the Training Calendar for dates and times of upcoming exams.
- Click here for FAQs and to register for a certification exam.