To reduce NYC crime, invest in prevention
By Michael Jacobson, Executive Director, CUNY ISLG, and Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney
The following is an excerpt from an article originally published by the New York Daily News about the newly funded Gun Violence Prevention Initiative, which aims to connect Manhattan youth and young adults at risk of committing or becoming a victim of gun violence with meaningful summer programming. It is funded through the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII), a partnership between CUNY ISLG and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Last week, the Manhattan DA’s office — along with its partners in the NYPD and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District — announced sweeping indictments against 24 alleged members of a violent criminal organization, charging them with numerous shootings, murders, drug trafficking and gunpoint robberies across Manhattan and the Bronx.
This week, the Manhattan DA’s office is partnering with CUNY’s Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG) to award 10 community-based organizations with $20,000 each. These investments will engage young New Yorkers with supportive services and work in the community — methods proven to keep young people, and their neighbors, safe from gun violence.
While these two approaches are fundamentally different — the former a strong enforcement action and the latter a critical prevention strategy — both are essential to stop the swell of crime and gun violence that has plagued New York City, and the nation, since the pandemic began.
Enforcement is a blunt tool to stop known drivers of violence from continuing to harm the community. Last week’s gang takedown was just the latest enforcement action by DA Bragg. Our office has increased gun prosecutions by 26% this year compared to last — in many cases seizing guns from alleged domestic abusers. The office has secured indictments against alleged traffickers bringing firearms from North Carolina and individuals accused of shootings on our streets and subways. Each successful case holds accountable someone who would otherwise endanger our community, and hopefully brings some sense of closure for victims and their families.
While we have more work to do, as of early August, homicides in Manhattan are down 12.5% this year compared to last, and shootings are down almost 20% — outpacing declines citywide in both categories.
But enforcement alone won’t deliver the enduring safety we need. It must be paired with community partnerships to prevent violence upstream, provide support for victims of crime, and help those leaving incarceration thrive and avoid returning to jail.
In New York City, the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) is an invaluable violence prevention strategy that complements the work of police, lawmakers and district attorneys. Created by the Manhattan DA and administered by CUNY ISLG, this pioneering program channeled hundreds of millions of dollars seized from illegal bank activity into a series of community-based, sustainable solutions for safer neighborhoods. Taken together, CJII provides a comprehensive blueprint to lift people up — and catch them before they fall.