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Division of Criminal Justice Services

Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative

The Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative provides state funding to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime, personnel, as well as focused training and technical assistance. GIVE is a key component of New York State's shooting and homicide reduction strategy. GIVE supports 20 police departments, district attorneys' offices, probation departments and sheriffs' offices in 17 counties: Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland​, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester. These counties historically account for more than 80 percent of the violent crime that occurs in New York State outside of New York City.

GIVE is an evidence-based initiative that focuses on four core elements:

  • People - The strategy must focus preventative and enforcement efforts on top offenders who have been identified as being responsible for most shootings and homicides or aggravated assaults.
  • Places - The strategy must focus preventative and enforcement efforts on the geographic locations (hot spots) where crime data and analysis demonstrate that most shootings and homicides or aggravated assaults occur.
  • Alignment - The strategy must describe how partners will coordinate and align all existing resources in the community in an effort to reduce shootings and homicides or aggravated assaults where applicable.
  • Engagement - The strategy must clearly articulate how organized outreach to key stakeholders and the community at large will occur; how the stakeholders and community will be given a voice; and how coordination will occur in a transparent manner that fosters wide-ranging support for violence reduction efforts.

GIVE jurisdictions are required to use Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) as the framework for developing their comprehensive GIVE plan and incorporate procedural justice into all elements of the plan, while implementing more than one of the following evidence-based strategies:

  • Hot-Spots Policing
  • Focused Deterrence
  • Street Outreach
  • Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)

The Giffords Law Center recognized the state’s investment in GIVE, SNUG and the Crime Analysis Center Network as a model for state-funded gun-violence reduction interventions.

DCJS also supports GIVE sites with an annual symposium that highlights effective gun violence reduction efforts in New York State and across the country. Videos from the event are available on the agency’s YouTube channel.

All jurisdictions have access to crime analysis personnel and resources through individual GIVE funded analysts or through the network of ten Crime Analysis Centers (CAC), which DCJS supports in partnership with local law enforcement agencies.

New York State supports the centers by funding staff, training, technology, support and infrastructure. Local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies also assign staff to the centers and provide other in-kind support.

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 are located in Albany, Broome, Franklin, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Niagara and Suffolk counties and provide critical support to law enforcement agencies more than half 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.

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