Governor Paterson Announces Operation Impact Grants for Upstate New York and Long Island

ALBANY, NY (07/20/2010)(readMedia)--

Governor David A. Paterson today announced that Operation IMPACT crime-fighting grants totaling $13.5 million will be awarded to the upstate and Long Island counties that report 80 percent of the crime outside of the City of New York. The grants will be used to support strategic crime-fighting and violence reduction initiatives by providing funding for crime analysts and prosecutors, equipment such as surveillance cameras and special operations such as undercover details and warrant sweeps.

"Operation IMPACT is a crucial program that has made our communities safer by supporting strategic crime-fighting initiatives," Governor Paterson said. "As I have consistently said, public safety and economic revitalization go hand-in-hand. We must, as a State, do our part to assist our local law enforcement partners in ensuring that our communities are safe places to live, work and raise our families. These Operation IMPACT grants provide much-needed resources to help further that goal."

The following counties participate in and will receive funding from Operation IMPACT in 2010-11: Albany ($919,059), Broome ($394,231), Chautauqua ($237,702), Dutchess ($377,724), Erie ($1,611,466), Monroe ($1,680,460), Nassau ($1,108,008), Niagara ($588,408), Oneida ($397,834), Onondaga ($1,099,755), Orange ($773,069), Rensselaer ($491,408), Rockland ($289,681), Schenectady ($732,880), Suffolk ($1,228,794), Ulster ($275,331) and Westchester ($1,349,375).

Statistics show that after declining 2.4 percent in 2009, "index" crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft) in the primary IMPACT jurisdictions are up about 2.5 percent for the first five months of 2010, driven almost entirely by an increase in property crimes. Murders, rapes and robberies are all down, but burglaries and larcenies are up, both in the IMPACT jurisdictions and other regions of the State. Governor Paterson noted that in addition to the IMPACT funding, this fall DCJS will be distributing targeted grants to jurisdictions struggling with a spike in burglaries, enabling local authorities to obtain DNA evidence from the site of every burglary.

DCJS Commissioner Sean M. Byrne said: "I commend Governor Paterson for ensuring that these critical funds will be available even in these difficult fiscal times. Additionally, later this month Governor Paterson will launch an expanded BIOTRACKS initiative where IMPACT dollars are used to fund the deployment of evidence technicians to burglary scenes to collect DNA samples. Burglars are serial criminals, and solving one will frequently solve several and prevent many more. I can say with confidence that collecting DNA at burglary crime scenes will prevent a great deal more burglaries, and as well as homicides and sex crimes."

Grants were awarded competitively, with priority given to those jurisdictions with the highest volume of crime. Each expenditure must bear a direct relationship to the overarching goal of reducing violent crime, and the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) continually monitors the effectiveness of the program through monthly crime trend meetings with the IMPACT partners. The total amount available for Operation IMPACT this year, $13.5 million, is approximately 10.5 percent less than the $15.1 million available last year – a reflection of the State's fiscal crisis.

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The following statements were provided in support of Operation IMPACT:

Ronald Knapp, City of Poughkeepsie Police Chief, said: "Operation IMPACT is an important component to our community's response to violent crime. Every month, the Dutchess County IMPACT team meets and discusses operations, strategies and other issues. In addition, our Field Intelligence Officers meet on a weekly basis to share case info and crime information. I cannot imagine what we would be facing without the support and funding of this vital New York State initiative. This aid is especially critical in these tough economic times when we are all struggling with tight budgets."

David Moore, City of Rochester Police Chief, said: "This IMPACT funding has proved to be an integral part of our agency crime strategy. Absent the financial support of DCJS, the Rochester Police Department could not maintain a level of staffing and acquisition of needed equipment in a time of budgetary challenges. Our partnership with DCJS, as seen in this initiative, exemplifies coordination and cooperation in government at all levels to address the needs of public safety, with a legacy of countless success stories that have benefited the quality of life for our city residents."

Michael D. Ferrara, City of Newburgh Acting Police Chief, said: "Operation IMPACT allows the City of Newburgh Police Department to continue vital crime fighting efforts. Operation IMPACT has allowed the Department to move past simply reacting to crime, and to move towards proactive enforcement efforts, field intelligence and crime analysis -- all of which are critical to maintaining public safety and reducing crime."

John D. Fowle, Acting Director of the Nassau County Probation Department, said: "In the last six months, Nassau Probation has recovered four loaded handguns during Nightwatch operations. These are dramatic examples of the power of collaborative law enforcement, for which Nassau County continues to set the standard."

David A. Tomidy, Director of the Oneida County Probation Department, said: "The funds and technological support provided by DCJS has enabled law enforcement agencies to collaborate in strategies and create projects that would otherwise never have come to fruition. The results are increased community safety, improved interdepartmental communications and partnerships and heightened morale. Arrests are more rapid, warrants are more often executed and quicker, and crimes are solved. Our community is definitely a safer place because of Operation IMPACT and our Law Enforcement Community is a more effective and collaborative entity than ever before."

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