Manhattan DA selects 10 grassroots groups for grants to fight gun violence

This text was initially printed on Jul 31 5:00am EDT by THE CITY

Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg is giving $20,000 grants to every of 10 neighborhood teams that utilized for funding for youth applications geared toward tamping down gun violence.

The teams, working in seven neighborhoods and 11 public housing tasks, will work on a wide range of initiatives. Some will prepare teenagers as neighborhood activists targeted not solely on gun violence, but additionally on environmental and voting campaigns. Others will lead monetary literacy or remedy periods, amongst many different actions. 

Collectively, they’re projected to contain about 100 younger individuals in communities the place Bragg’s workplace recognized taking pictures hotspots.

“Gun violence is my primary precedence,” mentioned Bragg at a gathering with the ten teams on the DA’s workplace in Harlem on Thursday. “We’re not going to prosecute our means out of this. 

“That is lives invested in, circumstances that won’t be introduced as a result of hurt wasn’t executed,” he mentioned.

The funding for the applications comes from the district lawyer’s “Felony Justice Funding Initiative,” which was launched by Bragg’s predecessor Cyrus Vance Jr. with asset forfeiture cash taken from worldwide monetary establishments. 

Michael Jacobson, government director of the CUNY Institute for State and Native Governance and a advisor for this system beneath each Vance and Bragg, mentioned the brand new district lawyer’s choices marked a shift. 

Beneath Vance, he mentioned, many grants went to well-established establishments like The Authorized Support Society and NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Middle, whereas most of Bragg’s are for smaller teams. “I’m unsure any of them had been this small, even the smallest ones weren’t smaller than these,” Jacobson mentioned.

Justin Nappler, of the East Harlem group Not One other Youngster, mentioned his group deliberate to make use of the grant cash to work with 10 younger males who’ve pending gun prices. Every shall be concerned in formulating and implementing an individualized work or training plan over 10 weeks, and obtain counseling and a $1,500 stipend.

The grant recipients at Thursday’s assembly inspired dad and mom and youths to contact them about taking part on this summer time’s actions. The organizations are Brotherhood Sister Sol, The Youngsters’s Village, Emergent Works, Exodus Transitional Group, Grand Avenue Settlement, Henry Avenue Settlement, New Future Basis, Not One other Youngster, Police Athletic League and Avenue Nook Sources.

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