Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative

New York State has transitioned from Operation IMPACT – a crime-fighting program implemented in 2004 to assist 17 New York State counties that account for more than 80 percent of Part 1 index crime in the state outside of New York City – to the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative.

GIVE serves the same counties as IMPACT – Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties – but requires those jurisdictions to focus exclusively on reducing and preventing shootings and firearm-related homicides. The GIVE initiative builds upon the information sharing and partnerships developed under Operation IMPACT, while expanding the use of crime analysis, evidence-based practices and community partnerships to assist in the reduction of firearm-related homicides and shootings.

The initiative focuses on communities in those 17 counties served by 20 law enforcement agencies that collectively report 86 percent of the violent crime in the state outside of New York City: police departments in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Hempstead, Jamestown, Kingston, Middletown, Mount Vernon, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Schenectady, Spring Valley, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and Yonkers, as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Crime-fighting strategies developed under GIVE vary by jurisdiction and include, but are not limited to: enhanced patrols in identified “hot spots” or locations that have shown to be the most prone to gun violence; focused deterrence against violent gangs and groups considered responsible for the most gun violence in communities; increased supervision of individuals on parole and probation; and the deployment of street outreach workers to interrupt cycles of violence or prevent retaliation. GIVE also will provide technical assistance so that agencies can effectively implement those strategies.

GIVE provides funding to those 20 police departments, as well as district attorneys’ offices, sheriffs’ offices and probation departments in the GIVE counties. Grants are used to fund personnel, such as prosecutors and crime analysts, in addition to overtime, equipment, training and community outreach efforts.

Crime Analysis Centers

DCJS partners with local law enforcement to support Crime Analysis Centers in Albany, Broome, Erie, Monroe, Niagara and Onondaga counties. In addition, DCJS also supports a Crime Analysis Center in Franklin County, partnering with law enforcement in that county and four others in the North Country: Clinton, Essex, Jefferson and St. Lawrence.  GIVE expands the role of those centers and the use of analysis in reducing, preventing and solving shootings and firearm-related homicides.

DCJS and local law enforcement in those counties oversee the operations of the centers, which are staffed by DCJS-funded directors, civilian crime analysts,  analysts and field intelligence officers from partner agencies, including police departments, sheriffs’ offices and probation departments, and analysts from other partners, including the New York State Police and New York Army National Guard.