New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was back in The Bronx on Tuesday, Oct. 21, to announce a $6 million, two-year investment to expand and strengthen what were described as “two transformative, community-led, public safety initiatives in the South Bronx and West Bronx.

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark’s “Bronx Restore” program, and the “West Bronx Community Safety Partnership” were the two recipients of the funding. The latter is an initiative launched, as reported, by City Council Member Pierina Sánchez (C.D. 14) and other local officials, community leaders, and grassroots organizations in response to persistently high levels of gun violence and a shared goal of creating a safer West Bronx.

 

Some of those grassroots organizations include Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), a cure violence program overseen by the nonprofit, Good Shepherd Services, and another local nonprofit, Theory 9.

 

Officials said the targeted commitment was developed in close collaboration with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), and responds to specific challenges in neighborhoods that have experienced persistently high rates of violence and deep-rooted inequities.

 

“Public safety has been and will always be my number one priority, and this new $6 million investment in the Bronx will go to community-led public safety initiatives that are proven to work and are already delivering results,” Hochul said. “I am incredibly grateful for the work these community groups are doing, changing the trajectory of so many lives away from violence and back toward their community and future success. I remain deeply committed to continuing to drive down crime and increase community resources in The Bronx.”

 

State officials said the Bronx Restore program will receive $3 million to serve at-risk, young people in the South Bronx with community-based justice and safety strategies to prevent justice system involvement, expand opportunity, and promote educational attainment and economic mobility.

 

They said the “Bronx Restore” program will complement community resources currently being provided through the Bronx Community Justice Center. Specifically, they said this new investment will support engagement with teens and young adults identified as being at the greatest risk of engaging in serious crime, and will work to reconnect them to positive influences and away from future violence and the criminal justice system.

 

“Gov. Hochul, on behalf of everyone here in The Bronx, thank you,” the district attorney said. “Thank you for investing in our borough, in our youth. Years from now, we will look back on this announcement as a critical moment in our ongoing effort to make our neighborhoods safer, and to provide hope and opportunity for those who did not have it.”

 

Clark continued, “Seventeen percent of the city’s total population resides in The Bronx, yet our county accounts for 35 percent of the City’s murders, and 37 percent of its shooting victims. This $3 million funding will be used to engage teens and young adults who are at high risk of engaging in violence.”

 

State officials said the he additional $3 million investment to support the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership will help address the root causes of violence through youth engagement, education and employment support, mental health services, and stronger community connections.

 

Reacting to the news, Sánchez said, “The path to safe communities is paved through opportunity. This $3 million investment is proof of what’s possible when we come together to address the root causes of violence with care, collaboration, and courage.” As reported, a shooting took place in May close to the councilwoman’s own constituency office. 

 

Sánchez continued, “Year after year, our community is plagued [with] alarming levels of community violence, and after the heartbreaking loss of one-year-old Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, I joined my colleagues in government, community organizations, and local leaders to launch the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership, a call for deep, coordinated investment in our neighborhoods.”

 

As reported, Nicholas died of a fatal, accidental overdose in September 2023 at El Divino Niño daycare center on Morris Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights, where an underground fentanyl racket had been operating in collusion with the female daycare owner, Grei Mendez, then 37. It has since been closed. 

 

As reported, three other people, including Mendez’s husband, Felix Herrera Garcia, then 36, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, then 39, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, then 42, a cousin of Herrera Garica, were convicted and sentenced along with Mendez in federal court on various charges in connection with the incident, which also resulted in the poisoning of three other infants who survived after being administered Narcan, a lifesaving drug which reverses the effects of fentanyl.

The four defendants are currently being tried at State level on separate charges in connection to Nicholas’s death. In his memory, Nicholas Otoniel Feliz Dominici Way was unveiled in September 2024 on the first anniversary of Nicholas’s death. Read that story here.

 

Meanwhile, Sánchez said Hochul’s funding commitment was a direct result of months of ongoing conversations with the Partnership members and sent a powerful message that West Bronx deserve the same safety, stability, and hope as every corner of the State. “With these funds, local organizations can expand the proven programs that create opportunity, build trust, and save lives,” she said. “Our work is far from over, but today we take a meaningful step toward the future our community has long fought for.”

 

The councilwoman was recently honored by the Street Vendor Project during the 4th Annual Street Heroes Gala, alongside City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farías (C.D. 18), for her advocacy of street vendors who, according to Farias, “have built a cornerstone of the city’s economy from the ground up.” As reported, the average annual wage of a constituent in Sánchez’s District 14 is $25,000.

 

State officials said DCJS will administer the funding and provide ongoing support and coordination, leveraging what they said were lessons learned through the agency’s Project RISE [Respond, Invest, Sustain, Empower] initiative, which operates in ten communities disproportionately affected by gun violence across New York State.

 

They said Project RISE focuses on building safer, healthier neighborhoods by investing in youth and family supports, strengthening grassroots organizations and coordinating cross-sector collaboration.

 

State officials went on to say that the dual funding announcement “complements historic levels of State and City funding for violence prevention efforts,” including the SNUG Street Outreach program at The Bronx’s Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park, which is supported by funding of $2.7 million, and New York City’s Crisis Management System, which they said is backed by funding of $5 million in State support.

 

They said, together, these initiatives represent a comprehensive approach to building safer, more resilient communities. The SNUG Street Outreach programs also work to reduce gun violence and save lives in 14 communities across New York State.

 

New York State DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado said of the latest funding announcement, “The partnerships being strengthened through this investment show what’s possible when the State and local communities work together toward a shared vision of safety and equity.”

 

She praised what she described as Hochul’s leadership, along with Clark and Sánchez, “for helping move beyond short-term fixes and toward lasting, community-led progress that she said uplifts youth, and gives every neighborhood in The Bronx the opportunity to thrive.”

 

For his part, Espaillat said, “Public safety is a priority for each of us, and it requires strong partnerships at every level of government to keep our communities safe.”

He thanked the governor and all involved. “Bolstering these initiatives with additional funding will help further our efforts to provide effective sustainable solutions to reduce crime, support our communities, and build a safer, more resilient future for all who call the Bronx home,” he added.

 

State Senator Robert Jackson (S.D. 31) said, “Public safety is not born from punishment; it grows from investment, from opportunity, from justice that lives beyond the courtroom. I commend Gov. Hochul for recognizing that truth, and I stand proudly with Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Council Member Pierina Sánchez, and the many local leaders and grassroots organizers who have turned pain into purpose.”

 

He added, “This $6 million investment affirms what we in the Bronx have long known: when we empower our communities — when we fund youth, education, and healing — we build not just safer streets, but stronger futures. The path to lasting safety runs through equity, dignity, and the courage to act together.”

 

Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie (A.D.83), State Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda (S.D. 34), Assembly Member George Alvarez (A.D. 78), and Assemblymember Landon Dais (A.D. 77) also welcomed the news.

 

Meanwhile, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said, “Too many Bronx families have felt the lasting impact of violence in our communities, and too often, our youth are caught in the crossfire. These challenges don’t define us but remind us why continued investment in prevention, support, and opportunity in our borough is critical.”

 

She thanked Hochul “for always showing up for The Bronx,” adding in part, “Through collaboration and community, we can ensure our Bronx residents have access to the critical tools and support they need to feel safe in their neighborhoods.”

 

State officials said the announcement is part of the governor’s broader strategy to build safe, vibrant communities across New York State by advancing “evidence-based, community-centered approaches that deliver lasting results.”

 

They said that since taking office, Hochul, who is being primaried next year by her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, has made “public safety a top priority,” investing in violence prevention, strengthening law enforcement partnerships, and “supporting innovative, community-based solutions to address the root causes of crime and promote long-term stability.”

 

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