{"id":377767,"date":"2026-10-20T10:20:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377767\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T10:20:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:20:46","slug":"exclusive-mamdani-to-expand-gun-violence-prevention-program-in-bushwick-harlem-and-washington-heights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377767\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: Mamdani to expand gun violence prevention program in Bushwick, Harlem and Washington Heights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> is set to announce an expansion of New York City\u2019s community-based gun violence prevention program in three Brooklyn<\/a> and Manhattan<\/a> neighborhoods, directing $4.8 million in previously budgeted funding toward organizations that work to stop shootings before they happen, amNewYork has learned.<\/p>\n

The expansion, expected to be announced Tuesday, will bring additional street outreach and conflict mediation services to Bushwick, Harlem and Washington Heights\/Inwood through the city\u2019s Crisis Management System<\/a> (CMS). The program employs trained violence interrupters who work to defuse disputes, prevent retaliatory shootings and connect people at risk of violence with jobs, counseling and other support.<\/p>\n

Each area will receive $1.6 million for the fiscal year through funding already allocated in the city\u2019s FY2027 budget, according to City Hall.\n<\/p>\n

The money will support 42 new positions across the three neighborhoods, including 30 credible messengers tasked with mediating conflicts and preventing violence, a City Hall spokesperson told amNewYork. Each area will have 10 credible messengers, a program manager, an administrative assistant, a community coordinator and an education and employment specialist.<\/p>\n

In Bushwick, the city will expand The Wick Against Violence, operated by Southside United, building on the organization\u2019s existing work at Woodhull Hospital and Bushwick Houses. The additional resources will allow the group to increase neighborhood outreach and provide more support to residents at risk of gun violence.<\/p>\n

In Harlem, the funding will expand Living Redemption\u2019s existing street outreach and conflict mediation efforts, including programs connecting young people and families with mentors, employment and educational opportunities.<\/p>\n

Washington Heights and Inwood will receive a new CMS street-outreach team through Grow Up Grow Out Jr., operated by United Way. Unlike Bushwick and Harlem, where existing programs are being expanded, the northern Manhattan area has not previously had CMS street-outreach coverage, according to the administration.<\/p>\n

The three areas were selected based on crime data, unmet service needs and other indicators, City Hall said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

How the expansion will work<\/p>\n

The Department of Youth and Community Development is processing contract amendments for all three programs. City Hall has not provided a start date, saying the rollout will depend on hiring, training and other preparations. The Bushwick expansion could begin sooner because Southside United already operates CMS programming in the neighborhood, according to a City Hall spokesperson.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic safety is strongest when it begins with prevention and when communities have the resources to resolve conflict, support young people, and keep their neighbors safe,\u201d Mamdani said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The expansion will extend the network\u2019s reach from 29 to 31 NYPD precincts. CMS currently operates in 46 neighborhood service areas, according to the Mayor\u2019s Office of Community Safety.<\/p>\n

\"\"Members of New York City\u2019s Crisis Management System (CMS) attend a security briefing with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois ahead of the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 4, 2026. Photo by Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

CMS dates back more than a decade and relies on nonprofit organizations employing outreach workers known as credible messengers<\/a>, often people with firsthand experience of violence and deep ties to the neighborhoods they serve. They work to mediate disputes, prevent retaliation after shootings and connect at-risk residents with mentoring, employment and other support services.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery New Yorker deserves to be safe in their neighborhood, and that safety is strongest when it is built with \u2014 not imposed on \u2014 communities,\u201d said Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois. \u201cThis expansion gives trusted local partners the resources they need to reach people before a crisis, interrupt violence and respond to community needs with care, credibility, and urgency.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mamdani pledged to expand the Crisis Management System in March when he established the Office of Community Safety, <\/a>overseen by Francois, to coordinate existing city programs focused on violence prevention, mental health and support for crime victims. The office was an initial step toward fulfilling his campaign promise to create a broader Department of Community Safety.<\/p>\n

Expansion follows calls for wider coverage<\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s announcement has the backing of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, both of whom praised the role of community-based violence prevention programs in reducing shootings.<\/p>\n

\u201cViolence interrupters are an essential component of crime reduction and my office\u2019s partnership with them is part of the reason gun violence in Brooklyn is decreasing faster than the record-breaking numbers citywide,\u201d Gonzalez said in a statement.<\/p>\n

A March 2025 report<\/a> by then-City Comptroller Brad Lander identified gaps in the city\u2019s violence prevention network in Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood, despite persistent gun violence in those neighborhoods. The report recommended expanding services to address the gaps.<\/p>\n

The analysis estimated that CMS programs contributed to 1,567 fewer shootings citywide between 2012 and 2024. In precincts with active programs, researchers estimated a 21% reduction in shootings compared with what would have occurred without the interventions.<\/p>\n

But the report also found problems with oversight, coordination, and payments to the nonprofit organizations running the programs. The average time providers waited for reimbursement rose from 130 days in 2016 to 255 days in 2024, with organizations reporting that delays disrupted payroll and threatened services.<\/p>\n

Assembly Member Maritza Davila, whose district includes Bushwick, welcomed the expansion but stressed that the organizations carrying out the work need dependable city support.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we welcome The Wick and Southside United Los Sures to this effort, we need to provide them the resources, timely funding, and support they need to succeed,\u201d Davila said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to announce an expansion of New York City\u2019s community-based gun violence prevention program…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377768,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[138843,7814,1445,75,84,83,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-377767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-crisis-management-system","tag-department-of-community-safety","tag-mamdani","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}