State To Create 450 Jobs In Nassau To Combat Gun Violence

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — Following a gun violence-prevention meeting for Nassau County today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that 450 jobs will be available for at-risk youth in seven communities in the county.

The state will provide funding for 170 summer jobs for people ages 15 to 24 to keep them employed until the start of the school year. The state is also colaborating with local workforce development groups to provide job training and placement into long-term jobs for 280 young people who are out of school. Of those, 100 will be for young people in Hempstead.

In addition to Hempstead, the initiative is targeting the communities of Baldwin, Hicksville, Uniondale, Elmont, West Hempstead and Valley Stream.

"This crisis calls for bold action and comprehensive solutions, and we will use every tool at our disposal to keep our communities safe," Cuomo said in a release. "This meeting helped us get on the same page with the people on the ground who know best what resources Nassau communities need to address the gun violence epidemic, and we are going to deliver for them so we can reach those who are most vulnerable."

Earlier this month, Governor Cuomo kicked off a series of community meetings that will be held in emerging gun violence hot spots across the state, where state officials and community leaders can carve out initiatives to address gun violence. The initiatives focus on engaging the most at-risk youth in cluster zones in employment and community activities, hiring new community-based gun violence interrupters, as well as assistance for mental health and substance use disorders.

• Creating 450 jobs for youth, including 170 summer jobs and 280 long-term jobs placed in partnership with local workforce development boards.
• Establishing summer programs for youth, including more than 40 activities at Jones Beach, Bethpage, Hempstead, Valley Stream and other state parks across Long Island this summer.
• Hiring new violence interveners to work at existing community intervention programs.
• Expanding community services and assistance for mental health support, substance abuse treatment and family crisis intervention.

“Today’s meeting with the state on gun violence was a constructive step forward. While major crime is down 10.5 percent in Nassau County over the past year (and 36 percent over the past decade), we must continue to target hotspots of gun violence, which is taking too many precious lives — especially in communities of color," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a release. "The county intends to support State Executive Order 211 on Gun Violence with additional American Rescue Plan funds for community violence intervention, such as summer youth employment opportunities in gun violence hotspots. The county continues to explore additional opportunities to utilize ARP funds for effective community policing that will help ensure Nassau County remains the safest community in America.”

This initiative is part of Cuomo's recent declaration that gun violence in the state was a "disaster emergency." The new initiative treats gun violence as a public health crisis and includes short-term and long-term strategies to try to combat it.

Earlier this week, Cuomo also announced funding that Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead were receiving for more job training for young adults, aimed at combating gun violence. Nassau County is receiving $900,000 to train 180 young adults, the state said, and Hempstead is receiving $500,000, which will help 100 people.