GIVE Communities Report 48 Fewer Shootings and Nearly 100 Fewer People Shot in First Seven Months of 2025

Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse Lead the Way With Double-Digit Declines in Gun Violence

New York City Sees Continued Reductions in Shootings 

Governor Kathy Hochul reported that shooting incidents with injury in communities that participate in the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative dropped 14 percent in the first seven months of 2025, thanks to record state investments and the work of the local law enforcement agencies and community organizations across the state. New statistics from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services also show a 21 percent decrease in shooting deaths compared to the same period in 2024.

“Gun violence in New York is falling as a direct result of our record investments in public safety and prevention initiatives,” Governor Hochul said. “As we work with our public safety partners to make real progress in the fight against gun crimes, I remain committed to investing in programs that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and keep our communities safe.” 

The programs the Governor credited with reducing gun violence are the very ones that Trump has rescinded funding for. On August 7, 2025, Trump stripped $87 million in counterterrorism and public safety funding from New York State. To add insult to injury, the funds  were “stripped” in the aftermath of a mass shooting in midtown Manhattan, and would affect law enforcement’s ability to keep New Yorkers safe. 

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said,“Thanks to Governor Hochul’s record investments that have empowered our local partners, we are seeing sustained progress in reducing gun violence throughout New York State. The GIVE communities are proving that focused strategies and real partnerships can save lives and prevent tragedies. We are grateful for the Governor’s steadfast leadership and the support of our local public safety partners who are truly building safer and stronger neighborhoods.”

“Disrupting the flow of illegal guns and the mission to locate and mitigate their source of supply remains a top priority,” stated New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said. “GIVE is just one of several initiatives supported by Governor Hochul to aggressively attack the gun violence epidemic in New York State. We are grateful for her support, and we share her continued commitment in developing solutions to reduce gun violence on our streets.”

Newly released data comes from the 28 police departments outside of New York City participating in GIVE. These agencies account for roughly 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms and 85 percent of all violent crime reported outside the five boroughs. Since 2021, when Governor Hochul took office, shootings statewide have fallen by more than 50 percent and murders by 30 percent.

Governor Hochul recently announced $36 million in GIVE funding, marking the third consecutive year of record-level support for the program. When comparing January 1 through July 31, 2025 to the same period last year, GIVE police departments reported:

• 303 shooting incidents with injury, down from 351 
• 356 individuals shot, down from 455
• 55 gun-violence-related deaths, 15 fewer than the 70 reported in 2024

Four cities saw significant reductions in shooting incidents with injury during the same timeframe: 

• Albany: 53 percent decline
• Buffalo: 25 percent decline
• Syracuse: 10 percent decline
• Rochester: 8 percent decline 

New York City also experienced notable declines. Through Aug. 17, the NYPD reported a nearly 20 percent decrease in shootings (459 vs. 572) and a 19 percent drop in shooting victims (564 vs. 700) compared to the same period in 2024.

GIVE data for each of the 28 participating police departments, along with an interactive dashboard featuring current-year and historical statistics, is available on the DCJS statistics page.

The FY26 Enacted Budget sustained $347 million in unprecedented funding secured by Governor Hochul for gun violence prevention programs, including GIVE, and supports additional initiatives to improve public safety, expand support for victims and survivors of crime and strengthen communities.

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; 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 (formerly Twitter).

Meanwhile, Governor Hochul also pointed to safer subways and public transportation.

Safer Subways: Hochul Announces Subway Crime Fell to Historic Lows this Summer

Summer Major Crimes Down Nearly 17 Percent Compared to 2019, at Lowest Levels in a Generation; Felony Assaults Down 21 Percent From 2024

Ridership Grew To Post-Pandemic Highs in 2025, Up 9 Percent From 2024

Ten SCOUT Teams Now In Place Throughout Transit System Providing Clinician-Led Mental Health Response

MTA on Track To Install LED Lights at Every Subway Station and Platform Barriers at 100 Stations by End of 2025

Governor Hochul announced that subway crime fell to record lows this summer. Overall transit crime from June 1 to August 31 was down nearly 10 percent from 2024 and 16.8 percent from the summer of 2019. Year-to-date, transit crime is at record lows, while subway ridership is up 9 percent, with over 311 million rides taken during the summer months. Transit felony assaults have been down every month this summer when compared to 2024. Together, June, July and August have had 119 felony assaults — compared to 150 last year — a reduction of 21 percent. There were 0.38 assaults per one million subway riders between June 1 and August 31. Accounting for increases in ridership, there were 1.59 major crimes per one million subway rides this summer, down 30 percent from 2022 and in line with pre-pandemic lows.

“When I took office, I vowed to drive down subway crime and keep it down. With strategic investments in public safety and targeted interventions, crimes across our subway system have officially reached record lows,” Governor Hochul said. “All New Yorkers deserve to feel safe on public transit — and I am committed to continuing investments that make our subways and streets safe.”

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said,“The subway is safer today than before the pandemic and we all know why: more cops, more security cameras, and more mental health outreach. These interventions and others — funded and supported by Governor Hochul — have us on track for a third straight year of declining crime.”

According to NYPD statistics, July and August have been especially safe months, with new data confirming both were the safest July and August in history. Overall transit crime was down 22.8 percent this August compared to 2024, and felony assaults were down 40.4 percent compared to last year. Robberies were down 34 percent in the subway system in August compared to 2024.

This historic reduction in crime follows a series of investments in subway safety led by Governor Hochul. In January, Governor Hochul allocated $77 million in state funding to support a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the NYPD to deploy officers on board subway trains during overnight hours. This deployment provides peace of mind to riders and a deterrent to those who would commit crime in the system during overnight hours. During this deployment, two NYPD officers patrol a subway train, moving from car to car during a train’s journey.

There has also been progress made responding to mental health challenges in the subway. Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams (SCOUT) pair mental health clinicians with MTA police officers, to provide a clinician-led approach to individuals with serious mental health needs in the subway. To date, SCOUT teams have made over 750 referrals out of the subway system, and collectively, these patients have spent over 2,000 nights in treatment, getting the help they need. Directed by Governor Hochul, the MTA has now fully operationalized 10 SCOUT teams, with services provided throughout the subway system in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

Investments in Transit Safety Made Under Governor Hochul’s Leadership Include:

• Provided $77 million to partner with the NYPD to deploy two officers on every overnight train.
  • $20 million to fully fund 10 Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams to provide a clinician-first response to mental health challenges in the subway.
  • Placed 32,000 security cameras in the New York City Subway system — including over 17,000 on all 6,000 subway cars at Governor Hochul’s direction — and over 15,000 in subway stations.
  • Added new platform barriers at 74 subway stations, with the MTA on pace for 100 by the end of 2025.
  • Installed brighter LED lights in over 300 subway stations, on pace for all 472 by the end of 2025.
  • Established two Transition to Home Units (THUs) at Manhattan Psychiatric Center, creating 50 beds to support homeless individuals with severe mental illness.
  • Improved coordination between Law Enforcement and District Attorneys via a new MTA Criminal Justice Advocate.
  • Installed cameras in the conductor cabs of subway trains to keep MTA employees safe. To date, the MTA has installed cameras in over 1,100 conductor cabs.

Governor Hochul commented, “But I know this. Today or tomorrow, there’ll still be another headline that sends chills down people’s spines and creates that sense of as much as statistically there’s a very low percentage chance now of something happening. You still worry about your loved ones. Our senior citizens, little kids, and yourselves on this. I understand that innately.

“So that’s why we can’t back down. In fact, we don’t back down. We double down. And so I’m announcing today that we’re going to continue the overnight patrols that we actually intended last January as a very temporary measure. We thought we’d see whether it stabilizes the situation — look at the metrics as a result. It was supposed to be temporary, I know New Yorkers tell me they feel safer when they see officers on board. So we’re going to continue doing that for the months to come. And we’re going to continue drawing on the $77 million we already allocated. I have $45 million for the National Guard’s Empire Shield mission. So you’re going to continue to see some National Guard here as well because I believe this is what’s making a difference.”

Governor Hochul added, “We’re also going to keep monitoring our laws. We talk about repeat offenders on the subways all the time. People who seem to be cycling in and out of the courtroom and no consequences. I’ve had to change bail laws. I’ve had to change discovery laws, so repeat offenders and those who do harm to others — know their days are numbered. So I’m going to keep doing whatever it takes. This continues to be a challenge. It’s one, we’re up for — one that we’ve made real progress with, but I’m going to continue giving reports because we expect to be held accountable.

“I have high standards of what New Yorkers who are our commuters, and also our visitors are entitled to when they pay for that fare and get out in one of our subway trains. And I could not be happier with this report today. So I want to bring someone who shares this passion and this vision and has been such a strong partner of mine in government.”

MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper said, “Surging ridership and falling crime is very good news for MTA riders, who consistently rank subway safety as their number one concern. We remain focused and will continue working with the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to ensure this downward trend continues.”

NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said,“Keeping riders and employees safe in the transit system is always top of mind at NYC Transit and thanks to the investments made by Governor Hochul and law enforcement partners, we’re delivering on that commitment. With surging ridership, historic on-time performance, and decreasing crime statistics this summer, riders can rest assured they will be receiving safe, efficient and reliable trips on the subway.”