By Hank Russell
Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference in Glen Cove on July 16 announcing that violent and other crimes have fallen over the past year on Long Island.
Shooting incidents with injury decreased 44% as reported by the Nassau, Suffolk and Hempstead Police Departments, all of which participate in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) program. Across Long Island, statistics show a 15% overall decrease in index crimes, as well as a 16% reduction in property crimes, during the first quarter of 2024.
“Public safety is my top priority, and I am committed to using every tool at my disposal to protect the people of this state and crack down on gun violence and violent crime,” Hochul said. “We’ve partnered with local police agencies to successfully get guns off the streets and drive down overall crime on Long Island, and I will continue investing in the men and women in uniform who are working hard every day to make sure their communities are safe.”
In Long Island communities participating in the State’s GIVE program, shooting incidents with injury declined by 44% between January 1 and June 30, 2024 (22 shootings) when compared to January 1 and June 30, 2023 (39 shootings); the statewide average was a 27 percent decline during this same period. This includes all incidents reported by the Hempstead Village, Nassau County and Suffolk County Police Departments. This builds on recent progress in addressing gun violence: in 2023, those agencies reported a total of 72 such incidents — the lowest number in 10 years. Data detailing the number of individuals shot in those incidents and the number of individuals killed in the same period are available online.
Preliminary index crime data reported to the state by police departments and sheriffs’ offices in Nassau and Suffolk Counties for the first quarter of the year showed a 15% reduction in total index crimes, a 4% reduction in violent crime, and 16% reduction in property crime. Notably, those agencies reported a 17% decline in larcenies and 14% decrease in motor vehicle thefts. For comparison, the statewide average was a 9% reduction in overall index crime and property crime.
Hochul announced that she and the Legislature successfully secured a record state investment of nearly $51 million for public safety on Long Island. Nassau County agencies received $1,494,692 and Suffolk County agencies received $1,307,677 for the GIVE funding cycle that runs from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. This funding also includes approximately $21.1 million in one-time capital funding to 39 police departments and sheriffs’ offices — including $1.1 million to the Glen Cove Police Department — for the purchase of law enforcement technology and equipment to allow those agencies more effectively solve, reduce and prevent crime.
“I am so grateful to Governor Hochul for supporting law enforcement and especially for today supporting my hometown police department!” said U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove). “The governor and I are both committed to supporting public safety and law enforcement. The shooting of President Trump reminds us that fully funding our law enforcement partners should be a top priority for all elected officials.”
Rossana Rosado, the commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, said, “Governor Hochul recognizes the importance of funding both law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations, each of which play a critical role in making their communities safer.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James added, “We are encouraged by the numbers showing a reduction in gun violence and overall crime on Long Island, which is a direct result of state investments and continued collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.”
Both county district attorneys also welcomed the good news. “We have seen an overall drop in Index Crimes in Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney in a statement. “I believe these statistics are indicative of what we are seeing in Suffolk County and are a result of the hard work of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in collaboration with all our law enforcement partners but most particularly, the Suffolk County Police Department.”
Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly added, “Nassau County is one of the safest communities in the nation because of law enforcement professionals across our police forces who work tirelessly everyday to identify crime trends and dedicate resources to driving them down. I applaud their exceptional efforts that have led to these reductions. Our police always have a partner in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and we will continue to work with them to keep illegal weapons off our streets and reduce gun violence in our communities.”