BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Gov. Hochul announced Friday a new initiative to help police and prosecutors in five NYS jurisdictions solve non-fatal shootings and prevent retaliatory gun violence.
Police departments and county district attorney offices in Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, Troy, and Utica will split nearly $900,000 in funds to implement new approaches toward improving investigations.
"As we work to reduce gun violence, it is critical that we solve non-fatal shootings and prevent retaliation in the form of additional gun violence," Hochul said. "We know that when these crimes are left unsolved, retaliation can turn deadly. This funding provides police and prosecutors the resources they need to solve non-fatal shootings, prevent retaliation, and reduce overall gun violence."
Law enforcement agencies across the state are reporting that small groups of individuals are responsible for a majority of gun violence in certain communities.
Some of the issues that these agencies are running into when trying to solve these gun violence cases include the following:
- A lack of resources necessary to gather and review evidence
- Getting information from victims and witnesses who are afraid or unwilling to cooperate
According to these agencies, a lack of closure on these cases can result in retaliatory violence and a lack of community trust in law enforcement.
The funding, which will run through June 30, will support teams of law enforcement that will work to solve non-fatal shooting cases from the point at which they are reported.
This will apparently help these teams secure crime scenes and gather evidence immediately, which increases the odds of identifying suspects in non-fatal shootings.
The Buffalo Police Department and Erie County District Attorney's office will receive over $300,000 in funding toward this new initiative.
