BUFFALO, N.Y. — Local leaders met Thursday night at the Delavan-Grider Community Center to discuss ways to curb gun violence in Buffalo and across Western New York.
Approaching the problem like the COVID pandemic, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who led the discussion, said the state is using data to target high-crime areas and reach at-risk individuals before they get wrapped up in illegal activity.
The state identified 10 zip codes in Buffalo, four in Niagara Falls, and one in Jamestown where at least 50 percent of recent gun violence has occurred.
Those areas are where local workforce development teams will be trying to recruit and train 926 at-risk youth between the ages of 14 and 24. There are 301 summer jobs currently available in Buffalo with 530 longer-term jobs in the works.
The City of Buffalo will be receiving $2.65 million to make the program possible, Niagara Falls $250,000 for hiring 50 jobs, and Jamestown $225,000 for 45 jobs.
Hochul led Thursday's discussion with local groups, but 2 On Your Side and other news outlets were not allowed to attend. Hochul spoke to the press after the event.
"People always say there are plenty of jobs out there, but if you don't live in an environment where your parents get up and go to work every day, that is not part of your upbringing," Hochul said.
"You may have a dysfunctional, you may have violence in the family, you may have a mom or father who is absentee. [We can't] assume they know how to go get that job, so we're identifying these individuals in these neighborhoods to help them."
She added that if the program is successful, it could put potential offenders on a better path that could lead them to become future entrepreneurs and local leaders.
Gauging how effective the program will happen down the road, the Lieutenant Governor said she plans to mean a year from Thursday to discuss how successful the program was.
2 On Your Side will hold the state accountable for this over $3 million attempt to make a dent in gun violence and will follow up with a report.
