Res. No. 1334

Resolution calling on the United States Congress to provide national funding for the Cure Violence program.

By Council Members Cabrera, Kallos and Chin

Whereas, According to a New York Times investigation from December 2019, gun violence has doubled in concentrated neighborhoods of New York City, attributing the rise of violence to revenge and retaliation in gang-based activities; and

Whereas, The New Jersey State Police noted in their 2017 Statewide Gang Assessment, that transnational criminal organizations have been actively conducting gang activities from New Jersey into New York City; and

Whereas, In 2018, the Governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island announced the formation of the "States for Gun Safety" coalition to track and combat gun violence in the Tri-State area; and

Whereas, In addition to New York City, gun violence is afflicting neighborhoods in other cities across the country such as Baltimore, Chicago, and Philadelphia, as reported by the Brennan Center for Justice, underlining the need for smart solutions to urban violence; and

Whereas, According to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Cure Violence program is an evidence-informed public health approach that identifies and engages individuals most likely to be involved in gun violence and deploys interventions aimed at curbing that behavior before it occurs; and

Whereas, Since 2012, the Cure Violence Program has been used in New York City as a model to address gang violence and reduce retaliatory killings by including community-based organizations and outreach workers to act as “violence interrupters” from the community, who have themselves experienced violence and can mediate on behalf of victims; and

Whereas, John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted an evaluation of the program in 2017, which found that the introduction of a Cure Violence program in New York City led to a substantial decline of around 63% in shooting incidents; and

Whereas, According to the Mayor’s Office to Prevent Gun Violence, the Cure Violence model is used as part of New York City’s anti-gun violence crisis management system; and

Whereas, Original funding for Cure Violence came from contributions from federal and state grants, which have dwindled over time to where the organization now operates on service fees and intermittent grants; and

Whereas, Given the success of Cure Violence in cities across the world, including cities in Brazil and the United Kingdom, municipalities across our country that wish to implement the program should be able to access the Cure Violence program through federal support; and

Whereas, Increased funding for Cure Violence will help New York City stem gun-related activities and cross-border violence in the Tri-State area, fostering an environment to protect our youth, local communities, and public safety; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the United States Congress to provide national funding for the Cure Violence program.

LS #12584

05/29/2020

AH