More than $1 million is set aside in the New York state budget for anti-gang programs on Long Island.
Part of the funding will be used to support community intervention programs for young people at-risk of recruitment into gangs like MS-13.
“We also need to be focusing more on the root cause: vulnerable young people who need somebody to reach out into their lives and turn them around,” said State Senator Jim Gaughran, who says fighting gang violence also means reaching out to those in need.
He says the money will help community programs that are operated by volunteers and run on a shoestring budget.
The budget also allocates money for reducing gun violence, as well as crime analysis.
