With Violence And Crime Down Across New York, Governor Hochul Announces National Recognition Of State’s One Of A Kind Network Of Crime Analysis Centers

Public Safety

With Violence And Crime Down Across New York, Governor Hochul Announces National Recognition Of State's One-Of-A-Kind Network Of Crime Analysis Centers

As violence and crime continue to decline across New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the State's one-of-a-kind network of Crime Analysis Centers has been recognized with an Excellence in the Field of Criminal Justice Award, one of six presented recently by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance to mark the 40th anniversary of the federal law that created the bureau. The State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) funds and supports 11 Crime Analysis Centers statewide in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. Staff at these Centers handled nearly 95,000 requests for service in 2023, providing critical data analysis, information and investigative support to help local law enforcement agencies deter, investigate and solve crimes. The Governor also highlighted that shootings in communities participating in the State's Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative are down 26 percent through October and overall crime is down 11 percent through the first six months of the year outside of New York City - demonstrating the effectiveness of the Crime Analysis Centers' work in support of local law enforcement agencies and numerous other ongoing crime-fighting efforts. GIVE jurisdictions account for roughly 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms and 85 percent of violent crime reported outside New York City.

"Doing everything I can to make sure that all New Yorkers and their families feel safe has been one of my top priorities since day one," Governor Hochul said. "I commend the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and all of New York's supporting law enforcement agencies for helping New York reach that goal, and further solidifying New York as a national leader in public safety."

DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, "The development and growth of our Crime Analysis Center Network would not have been possible without the unprecedented level of support, collaboration, and partnership we have received from local, state, and federal agencies and Governor Hochul's ongoing commitment to ensuring we have the funding necessary to support its operations. While DCJS has received this recognition, we share it with those partners and the crime analysts and law enforcement personnel whose work, day in and day out, helps police and prosecutors solve, detect, and prevent crime and makes our state safer for all New Yorkers."

Bureau of Justice Assistance Director, Karhlton Moore, presented the awards during a ceremony late last week in Washington, D.C. DCJS was one of two recipients of the Reducing Violent Crime Award, which recognizes an individual or team "for their significant contributions to the development and implementation of a successful approach to reduce violent crime in a specific jurisdiction or nationwide." Two other awards - Co-Creating Safer Communities and Reforming Our Nation's Criminal Justice System - were presented, with two honorees in each category. DCJS Deputy Commissioner Mark Heller, who oversees the Office of Crime Analysis and Strategic Partnerships, accepted the award on the agency's behalf.

• Shooting incidents with injury declined 26 percent (525 vs. 705) through October 2024 compared to the same 10-month period last year, as reported by the 28 police departments outside of New York City that participate in the State's Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative. The New York City Police Department also reported a 6 percent decrease (817 vs. 865) in shooting incidents through November 17, 2024.
• Preliminary data reported to the state by police departments and sheriffs' offices in the 57 counties outside of New York City show an 11 percent decrease in index crime during the first six months 2024, the most recent data available, when compared to the same time in 2023. There are seven index crime categories that are used to gauge overall crime trends: four violent (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and three property (burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft). The most significant decreases were reported in motor vehicle theft (-32 percent), followed by rape (-16 percent), and murder (-12 percent) when comparing January 1, through June 30, 2024, to that six-month period last year. The NYPD also reported a 2 percent decrease in crime complaints through Nov. 17, 2024.

About 210 crime analysts, investigators and other law enforcement personnel, either funded by DCJS or assigned by partner local, state, and federal agencies, staff the 11 Centers, located in Albany, Broome, Erie, Franklin, Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, and Suffolk counties, and Manhattan. More than 350 law enforcement agencies in 57 counties allow the centers to access records management systems, which include arrests, reported crimes, accident reports, traffic tickets and other calls for service; domestic incident reports; parole and probation records; and public surveillance camera systems, among other data and information sources.

Staff at the 11 centers analyze and compile data and information in response to requests for service, providing real-time investigative support to officers as they are responding to reported crimes; analyses of emerging crime trends, crime patterns, and calls for service that inform officer and resource deployment; and detailed briefings that provide investigators with leads on specific cases they are handling. Their work has allowed law enforcement agencies to solve homicides, car thefts, retail crime rings, and remove illegal guns from communities across the State.

Through a unique partnership with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT), centers also have technology on-site that allows police and sheriffs' investigators to process shell casings and identify potential matches across different incidents. Results are typically received from the ATF's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) within 24 to 48 hours and have a 99.6 accuracy rating. Center analysts compile these results and provide those leads to police for further investigation. The 11 centers in the network also share data and information with the New York State Intelligence Center, operated by the New York State Police; the locally run Nassau County Lead Development Center.

About The Division of Criminal Justice Services
The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides critical support to all facets of the State's criminal justice system, including, but not limited to: training law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals; overseeing a law enforcement accreditation program; ensuring Breathalyzer and speed enforcement equipment used by local law enforcement operate correctly; managing criminal justice grant funding; providing support to police agencies handling missing persons cases; analyzing statewide crime and program data; providing research support; overseeing county probation departments and alternatives to incarceration programs; and coordinating youth justice policy. Follow DCJS on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X/Twitter.